Article

2020-09-15 Science & Technology

Massive breakthrough: 155 mm howitzer artillery destroys incoming cruise missile

[FoxNews] An M109 Paladin 155 mm howitzer made history recently by shooting down a fast-moving maneuvering cruise missile with a “hypervelocity projectile” able to travel at speeds up to Mach 5, according to an Air Force announcement. Historically, armored vehicles such as tanks, howitzers or infantry carriers have not operated with an ability to destroy fast-moving, long-range cruise missiles, yet the successful demonstration breaks new ground.

The shoot-down, which took place at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, destroyed a “surrogate” Russian cruise missile target using the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS).

Posted by Skidmark 2020-09-15 08:18|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 single projectile? I would have thought they'd have gone with the shotgun approach.

Posted by Mercutio 2020-09-15 09:47|| 2020-09-15 09:47|| Front Page Top

#2 The projectiles in this system got to about mach 5.

For comparison, the interceptors used by Israel in Iron Dome, IIUC, get to about mach 2.

given the E = M x V x V, the howitzer projectile had about 6 times the KEnergy of a same weight Iron Dome projectile

Posted by lord garth 2020-09-15 10:36|| 2020-09-15 10:36|| Front Page Top

#3 6 times the KEnergy
And only 40% of the transit time to be deflected by winds, etc. If you are shooting a bullet at a bullet I have to believe little things like that matter.

Posted by Glenmore 2020-09-15 12:02|| 2020-09-15 12:02|| Front Page Top

#4 Interesting Proof of Concept but I fail to see the utility of it. A fast firing cannon to get multiple shots on target would probably max out at 75mm to *cough* 88mm (where have we heard that number?) do to the simple mechanical problems of moving the ammunition...

Posted by magpie 2020-09-15 12:07|| 2020-09-15 12:07|| Front Page Top

#5 How effective were the Battleship Yamato's 18-inch anti-aircraft shells?

Posted by magpie 2020-09-15 12:09|| 2020-09-15 12:09|| Front Page Top

#6 Just brainstorming here.
This would be an off the shelf system, already deployed at strongpoints. The M109 is a tracked system for movement, traversing turret for firing arc adjustments.

The M109A6 Paladin achieves a maximum firing rate of up to eight rounds a minute, or three rounds in 15 seconds, and a sustained firing rate of one round every three minutes. The gun is operated with an automatic fire control system with ballistic computer, fitted with an optical backup.

Not bad. Heckuva lot better than nothing, and getting shells to Paladins would be easier than dedicated systems so long as the right radar and comms could communicate with a Paladin.

I suppose this would make them vulnerable to anti-radiation systems but if the cruise missile or scud or whatnot is underway, then the cat is already out of the bag.

Posted by swksvolFF 2020-09-15 22:45|| 2020-09-15 22:45|| Front Page Top

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