Combat damage assessment team A-10/GAU-8 low angle firings versus simulated Soviet tank company (Array 17) (LAVP lot no. AJD 79A181-001, Aerojet) (14 August 1979)

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Authors
Stolfi, Russel H.S.
McEachin, R. R.
Subjects
automatic cannon ammunition
GAU-8 cannon
A-10 aircraft
main battle tank (MBT)
empirical firing tests
combat stowed targets
gun ammunition lethality
MBT vulnerability & survivability
Advisors
Date of Issue
1980-04
Date
1980-04
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
This report describes firings of the A-10/GAU-8 weapon system on 14 August 1979 against a Soviet tank company simulated by 10 combat loaded M-47 tanks. The pilots making the firing passes attacked at low altitude and used correspondingly low dive angles in order to simulate movement through a hostile air defense system. Ammunition used in the attacks comprised Aerojet Lot Number AJD 79A181-001 30mm armor piercing incendiary (API) rounds, which proved to be effective damage agents against substantial areas of the U.S. MK-47 tanks used as targets. The pilot in nine firing passes (one target was not fired on, and the pilot missed one intended target) fired a total of 565 rounds, of which 140 impacted the targets. Of the projectiles impacting on targets, 17 achieved perforations of the armored envelope. Significant results include: one tank immobilized and silenced; one tank silenced, mobility seriously degraded; three tanks immobilized only; two tanks immobilized, firepower seriously degraded; one tank light firepower damage; and two tanks suffered no damage. (Author)
Type
Technical Report
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
NPS-56-80-004
Sponsors
Prepared for: A-10 System Program Office, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Funder
MIPR # ACFR 79-177
Format
NA
Citation
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
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