There are different ways to measure penetration value. NATO uses the 50% criteria against 260BHN Steel, while the Soviet/Russia standard is higher (80% had to go through). According to authorities like Paul Lakowski, the difference in performance can reach as much as 8%[1]
Projectile weight: 3.9 kg including 2.9 kg and 0.27 kg tungsten carbide plug
Muzzle velocity: 1785 m/s
Muzzle energy: 6.2 MJ
Penetration: 400 mm at 0° at 2000 m, 150 mm at 60° at 2000 m
3VBM8/3BM17/18
Entered service (estimated 1972). An export version of the 3BM-15 without the tungsten carbide plug. Hence, it is an all-steel penetrator with inferior performance.[citation needed]
Entered service 1976. Tungsten carbide penetrator core sheathed in steel. Enlarged cap help to increase positive normalization and hold a much larger penetrator.
Projectile dimension: 450 mm 12: 1 L/d - including 250 mm core
Projectile weight (including sabot): 6.55 kg
Projectile weight: 4.85 kg
Muzzle velocity: 1700 m/s
Muzzle energy: 7.0 MJ
Penetration: 360 mm at 0° at 2000 m, 210 mm at 60° at 2000 m[citation needed]
3VBM11/3BM26/27 (3BM26 "Nadezhda-R)
Entered service 1983. Tungsten-nickel-iron alloy penetrator core sheathed in steel. Utilised new 4Zh63 high-energy propelling charge. Penetrator is base-installed to prevent deflection during penetration against multi-layered composite armour. Improved penetrator cap made of aluminium alloy.
Penetration 395 mm at 0° at 2000 m, 230 mm at 60° at 2000 m[citation needed]
3VBM17/3BM42 (3BM42 "Mango")
A BM-42 APFSDS projectile
Entered service in 1986. The projectile is double tungsten alloy rod sheathed in low melting point alloy covered with steel, intended to increase penetration against non-explosive reactive armour (NERA) such as Chobham armour. Is slowly being replaced by newer models such as 3BM59/60.
Penetration: 230mm @ 2000m at 60° and 520mm @ 2000m at 0° against standard 260BHN Steel Target
3VBM19/3BM42M (3BM44M "Lekalo")
From 1994, remained experimental and eventually evolved into the 3BM-59/60 meaning the outside design remained the same, the length of cartridge remained pretty much unchanged but the penetrator was further improved from the initial jacketed design which was improvement over the standard 3BM-42
Penetration: 270mm @ 2000m at 60° against standard 260BHN Steel Target
3BM42-2 (3BM44-2 "Mango-2")
APFSDS Projectiles
Currently in Experimental Phase, most famously seen at the Expo 2019 alongside 3BM-42 and 3BM-60. Uses the initial jacketed 3BM-42M penetrator but the cartridge is shorter over the Lekalo, designed to fit in the standard autoloader and is most likely to replace the standard 3BM-42 as main service round soon
the new round uses a new sabot design, and a Tungsten Alloy penetrator of increased length compared to prior generation Russian APFSDS ammunition. Used on 2A46M-4/5 with new autoloader.
Penetration: 220mm @ 2000m at 61.5° against 4340 Steel
DTW-125
Second-generation Chinese sabot round introduced in 1999. Initially 125-IIM acted as the export version with reduced velocity but with the introduction of DTC10-125, the DTW-125 itself became exported under the name “BTA4”
Country of origin: China
Projectile dimension: 642 mm
Round weight: 21.36 kg
Projectile weight (without Sabot): 4.1kg
Muzzle velocity: 1740 m/s
Muzzle energy: ?
Penetration: 220mm @ 200 at 68.5° against 4340 Steel
DTC10-125
Third-generation Chinese sabot round which was introduced in 2010 and the subject of a data leak on the War Thunder forum in June 2022 (leaked data is used here). This performance value is identical to value shown on Chinese state media, CCTV7.[9][better source needed]
Country of origin: China
Projectile dimension: 665 mm
Round weight: ?
Projectile weight (including sabot): ?
Muzzle velocity: 1760 m/s
Muzzle energy: ?
Penetration: 220mm @ 2000m at 71.12° against 4340 Steel
TAPNA
Produced by MSM Group in Slovakia. The penetrator is made from tungsten alloy. [10][11]
Entered service 1968, replacing steel liner with a copper liner. "M" means медь ("copper" in Russian) Uses 3V-15 detonator. Due to Soviet Union's copper economize policy production of the model is limited. Penetration performance claimed to be 10% higher than steel liner version.
Penetration: Estimated at 800 mm (triple charge HEAT)[13]
HE-frag-FS
High explosive fragmentation fin stabilised. General purpose rounds, for use against infantry, bunkers and light vehicles and other "soft" targets.
3VOF22/3OF19
An OF-19 HE-FRAG projectile
Entered service in 1962. Uses the 3V-21 detonator (mass = 0.431 kg, reliability = 0.98). The 90% lethal zone for infantry is reported to be 40 m wide and 20 m deep.[2]
Entered service in 1970. Uses the 3V-21 detonator (mass = 0.431 kg, reliability = 0.98). The projectile creates between 600 and 2,000 fragments. The body is made up of 45Kh1 steel or 60S2 high-fragmentation steel for modern projectiles. Modern projectiles creates up to 2,500 effective fragments.
Entered service in 2014. Uses the 3VM-18 programmable detonator. The projectile contains 450 tungsten rods, each weighing 3 grams and creates 2,500 fragments in a cone formation ahead of the projectile[14] when air burst mode is set. Air burst mode for use against infantry, light vehicles and helicopters, delayed mode use against bunkers and other constructions. Is currently used on the 2A46M-5 gun, mounted on the T-90M.[14]
Entered service in 1975. Uses the 3VM-17 time detonator. For use against wide area infantry and light vehicles. Time of detonation setting is mechanical, for modernization, the shell fuze could be set automatically by improved "Ainet" systems or "Kalina" systems, which are available on the T-90K commander tank or the regular main battle tanks such as the T-90A, T-90M, T-80UA, and the T-14 Armata main battle tank.[15]
Penetration: Estimated at 950 millimetres (37 in) after ERA tandem charge HEAT
Guided shell
Sokol-1
The Sokol-1 guided shell is fired from the 125 mm main gun, it borrowed design from the 152mm artillery shell 3OF75 Santimetr-M and both have very similar appearance, but with an added shaped charge cap into its design similar to the M712 Copperhead, intended to defeat heavily armoured targets. It uses the technique that is referred to as the Russian concept of impulse corrections (RCIC), an impulse steering flight control system to correct the projectile's trajectory.
The 3UBK14F1 guided shell is fired from the 125 mm main gun, its design was modified from 9M119 missile, removing the rocket motor and replacing it with an extra thermobaric warhead, turning it into a guided shell. Its range was decreased to 3.5 km, and it is claimed[according to whom?] to have three times the explosive power of regular thermobaric variant 125 mm guided missiles.
^ ab"Archived copy". www.knoe.odgw.net. Archived from the original on 7 April 2005. Retrieved 15 January 2022.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
