PENETRATOR, USE OF A PENETRATOR, AND PROJECTILE

Abstract

Penetrator (1) for a projectile having a tail unit, in particular a sub-calibre kinetic-energy projectile, comprising a one-piece main body (10) and a sub-body (11) fitted on the main body (10), characterized in that the main body (10) has at least a front region (12) and a rear region (17), wherein the rear region (17) of the main body is of a solid design and the front region (12) has a bore (13) formed in it, wherein the bore (13) comprises at least a first region (131) and a second region (132), wherein the first region (131) receives the fitted-on sub-body (11) and the second region (132) extends rearwards behind the fitted-on sub-body (11).

Claims

1. A penetrator for a projectile with a tail unit, in particular a sub-caliber kinetic-energy projectile, comprising a one-piece main body and a sub-body attached to the main body, characterized in that the main body comprises at least a front region and a rear region, wherein the rear region of the main body is solid and a bore is formed in the front region, wherein the bore comprises at least a first region and a second region, wherein the first region accommodates the attached sub-body and the second region extends rearwardly behind the attached sub-body.

2. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein a side wall, in particular a substantially hollow cylindrical side wall, is formed in the front region of the main body.

3. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the side wall extends at least over the first region, preferably over the first region and second region.

4. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein for accommodating the attached sub-body, the first region has an internal thread and the attached sub-body has an external thread.

5. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the bore is formed as a blind bore, and/or in that the bore extends in the longitudinal axial direction of the main body.

6. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the front region is cup-shaped.

7. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the front region of the main body is of reduced mass design in relation to the rear region, without this being apparent from the outer contour of the penetrator.

8. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the front region is embodied to be resistant to buckling in such a way that it can penetrate a pre-target, in particular a pre-plate of a reactive armor, with the attached sub-body.

9. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the second region of the bore forms a cavity which is unfilled when the sub-body is attached.

10. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the second region of the bore forms a cavity when the sub-body is attached, which cavity is filled with a material which has a lower density than the material of the rear region of the main body.

11. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a substantially cylindrical outer contour.

12. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the length ratio of the rear region to the front region is in a range from 10 to 1.5, preferably 8 to 2, in particular 6 to 3, and/or in that the front region has higher strength values and/or a higher hardness than the rear region.

13. The penetrator according to claim 1, wherein the length I of the front portion is determined according to the formula I≥2*b/cos(α) where b is the thickness of a first plate of a pre-target and a is the angle of inclination of a surface normal of the first plate of the pre-target with respect to a longitudinal axis of the penetrator, and/or in that the wall thickness of the front region is at least 30% of the outer radius of the front region, in particular is 40 to 50% of the outer radius of the front region.

14. A method of using the penetrator according to claim 1 to engage an armored target with reactive armor, in particular a tank, with reactive armor.

15. A projectile with a sabot and a tail unit comprising a penetrator according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0078] In the following, the invention will be explained by means of embodiments with reference to the drawings. It shows:

[0079] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a penetrator according to the invention;

[0080] FIG. 2 a schematic representation of a second embodiment of a penetrator according to the invention;

[0081] FIG. 3 a schematic enlarged view of the front region of the main body according to the first and second embodiments;

[0082] FIG. 4 a schematic representation of a penetrator according to the invention and a first plate of a pre-target.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0083] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a penetrator 1 according to the invention.

[0084] The penetrator 1 is configured for a projectile with a tail unit, in particular a sub-caliber kinetic-energy projectile.

[0085] The penetrator comprises a one-piece main body 10 and a sub-body 11 attached to the main body 10. The main body 10 comprises at least a front region 12 and a rear region 13.

[0086] The attached sub-body 11 on the main body can be a head. Furthermore, the attached sub-body can comprise a tip.

[0087] The rear region 17 of the main body 10 is configured to be solid, and a bore 13 is formed in the front region 12. The bore 13 includes at least a first region 131 and a second region 132.

[0088] The first region 131 accommodates the attached sub-body 11. The second region 132 extends behind the attached sub-body 11, preferably in the longitudinal axial direction to the rear.

[0089] In the front region 12 of the main body 10, a side wall 14, in particular a substantially hollow cylindrical side wall, is configured.

[0090] The sidewall 14 extends at least over the first region 131, preferably extending over the first region 131 and second region 132.

[0091] To accommodate the attached sub-body 11, the first region 131 comprises an internal thread 15 and the attached sub-body 11 comprises an external thread 16.

[0092] The bore 13 can be configured as a blind bore even if this is not shown in FIG. 1.

[0093] The bore 13 preferably extends in the longitudinal axial direction of the main body 10, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0094] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the front region 12 of the main body is configured to be cup-shaped.

[0095] In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the second region 132 of the bore 13 is empty. The front region 12 of the main body 10 is thus configured with reduced mass in relation to the rear region 17, without this being apparent from the outer contour of the penetrator 1. In addition, the mass and center of gravity of the front region can be adjusted.

[0096] Adjacent to the rear region 17 of the main body 10 is a tail region 16.

[0097] The tail region 16 is configured so that the tail unit of the projectile can be attached to it.

[0098] The length ratio L/I of the rear region 17 to the front region 12 of the main body 10 is in a range of 10 to 1.5, preferably 8 to 2, in particular 6 to 3.

[0099] The front region 12 of the attached sub-body 11 is configured to resist buckling so that it can penetrate a pre-target, in particular a pre-plate of a reactive armor. For this purpose, the attached sub-body 11 can comprise a tip.

[0100] The second region 132 of the bore 13 configures a cavity when the sub-body 11 is attached, which remains empty according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

[0101] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the main body 10 comprises a substantially cylindrical outer contour.

[0102] The front region 12 preferably comprises higher strength values and/or a higher hardness than the rear region 17.

[0103] The main body 10 is preferably configured from a tungsten heavy metal.

[0104] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of a penetrator 1 according to the invention. The second embodiment is based on the first embodiment and only the differences between the first and second embodiments are set out below.

[0105] According to the second embodiment, the second region 132 of the bore 13 configures a cavity filled with a material M when the sub-body 11 is attached.

[0106] The material M in the second region 132 of the bore 13 can be configured as a separate component. This component can be pressed into the second region of the bore 13 or held in position by the attached sub-body 11. In addition, the structural element can be connected to the attached sub-body 11 and configured to be mountable together with the latter.

[0107] The material M comprises a lower density than the material M′ of the rear portion 17 of the main body 10.

[0108] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the front region 12 of the main body 10. Even though the second region 132 of the bore 13 is shown empty, i.e. without material M, the disclosure with respect to FIG. 3 relates to all embodiments of the invention.

[0109] The wall thickness W of the front region 12 is at least 30% of the outer radius r of the front region 12. Preferably, the wall thickness W of the front region is 40 to 50% of the outer radius r of the front region 17.

[0110] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a penetrator 1 according to the invention and a first plate P of a pre-target.

[0111] The length I of the front region 12 of the main body 10 is determined by the formula I≥2*b/cos(α). Where b is the thickness of a first plate P of a pre-target and a is the angle of inclination of a surface normal of the first plate P of the pre-target with respect to a longitudinal axis of the penetrator 1. Preferably, the pre-target is a reactive pre-target of a reactive armor.

[0112] The thickness b and angle a of the plates of a pre-target of a reactive armor can be assumed to be known, since these can also be determined with sufficient accuracy from enemy tanks, for example, by evaluating photographs or on the basis of other findings.

[0113] For example, the angle a can be α° and the thickness d of a plate of a pre-target can be 25 mm. The length I of the front region 12 of the main body 10 is then at least 134 mm and the length L of the rear region 17 of the substantially cylindrical part is about 620 mm.

[0114] To the extent that the foregoing disclosure relates to a penetrator 1, the disclosure deems equally applicable to a projectile configured from such a penetrator 1, a tail unit, and a sabot.

[0115] In particular, the penetrator 1 according to the invention is for usage of the penetrator 1 for engaging an armored target with reactive armor, in particular a tank, with reactive armor.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0116] 1 penetrator [0117] 10 main body [0118] 11 attached sub-body 11 [0119] 12 front region of the main body [0120] 13 bore [0121] 131 first region of the bore 13 [0122] 132 second region of the bore 13 [0123] 14 side wall [0124] 15 internal thread [0125] 16 external thread [0126] 17 tail region of the main body [0127] α angle of inclination of a surface normal of the first plate P [0128] b thickness of the first plate P of a reactive pre-target [0129] I length of the front region 12 [0130] L length of the tail section 17 [0131] M material in the second region 132 of the bore [0132] M′ material of the tail region 17 [0133] P plate of a reactive pre-target [0134] r outer radius of the front region [0135] W wall thickness