Next-Gen 120mm Tank Killer: ATK’s M829E4 AKE

APFSDS in flight

ATK recently announced a $77 million, 3-year contract, exercising an option to develop and qualify the USA’s new 120mm tank-killing round for use in the U.S. Army’s M1A2 SEP Abrams tanks. The M829E4 is called the Advanced Kinetic Energy round, and belongs to a class known as APFSDS-T: Armor Piercing, Fin Stabilized, Discarding Sabot with Tracer. As the picture shows, the shell casing releases a penetrator sabot dart, which flies at extreme velocity to punch through enemy tank armor. The tracer element makes it easy to see the round in flight.

While manufacturers like Rheinmetall use tungsten alloys for the APFSDS dart, American rounds use alloys of similarly-dense depleted uranium (DU)…

Rapid Fire 2011-07-13: US Navy Readiness Shortfalls

• Chairman of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, J Randy Forbes (R-VA), has outlined a number of shortfalls in US Navy programs. Concerns focus upon increased inspection failures for naval vessels, the deployment of ships lacking essential equipment or systems and aircraft that are not combat ready. Forbes’ concerns have also been echoed by two senior Navy officers during a hearing on fleet readiness.

• The House Armed Services Committee announces the formation of a bipartisan financial management panel to scrutinize the Department of Defense’s (DoD) financial management systems.

• The Defense Contract Agency questions Northrop Grumman’s claims that the divestment of its shipbuilding business and the closure of the Avondale shipyard will save the United States an estimated $600 million.