It's Like They Wanted To Lose (Mild Update)

There's an arfcom thread about the development of the main battle tank.

As such things go, our personal experiences get mentioned.

I've mentioned the M900 105mm round before.

I think it would have done the trick against the tanks we were expected to shoot at.

But someone in England did some testing and wrote a paper and got their findings published in Jane's in 2007.

I remember that testing, findings and paper.

Lacking scientific vigor, I think, sums it up.

They made the leap from Kontakt-5 explosive reactive armor being invented in 1985 to the conclusion that it had been fielded since 1985.

It had not.

You will have to take my word for it that I know that.

Kontakt-1 was, but it doesn't affect APFSDSDU.  Makes shooting HEAT and HESH almost useless.

5 does.

But by the time it was fielded, we'd figured out some methods of keeping our pentrators intact.

It's interesting that we didn't dramatically change our ammo in response to getting hold of actual Kontakt-5 blocks...  Almost as if they didn't perform up to the hype.

The Russians lied?  I am shocked.

Also: Tandem HEAT warheads treat them all the same.  First warhead sets off the ERA, second warhead punches the armor.

Notes for later:

Kontakt-1 adds an effective 350-400mm (965 to 1,102 DR) to the thickness of the underlying armor against HEAT rounds.

Kontakt-5 adds an effective 450mm (1,240 DR) to the thickness of the underlying armor against HEAT rounds and reduces the penetration of KE penetrators by about 20%.  Rounds such as the 120mm M829A2 have features that allow it to penetrate the ERA without detonating it.  A3 and A4 rounds further enhance this feature...  Measure/Counter-Measure/Counter-Counter-Measure...

Nihz appears to halve the penetration of KE penetrators.