The American army has begun to master a new generation of tank shells. Yesterday, November 4, the portal defence-blog.com He reported that at the Yuma training ground (Arizona), the first crews of Abrams tanks fired M1147 ammunition.
The development of a new projectile for Abrams tanks became known in 2015, although the ammunition itself was developed before that for about ten years. Then a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman - Orbital ATK - won a contract to supply the US army with new high-explosive ammunition. Serial deliveries of new M1147 projectiles began in the spring, and in the autumn tank crews began training firing with their use.
Promo video of the M1147 projectile
The M1147, formerly known as XM1147, is a multifunctional ammunition that can be used against infantry, lightly armored targets, as well as to destroy concrete reinforced fortifications at a distance of up to 2 km. The new projectile will replace the cumulative M830, the universal anti-tank M830A1, the M1028 anti-personnel buckshot projectile, as well as the concrete-explosive M908 in the nomenclature of tank ammunition. The warhead of the new projectile has increased power, and is also equipped with a tracer element. The M1147 provides high penetration and powerful high-explosive action, and thanks to the possibility of programming, the tank crew can hit the target with an aerial detonation of a projectile near it.
