Overview on the German R&D Programs on ETC Gun Technologies for Main Battletank Weaponization

Document in pdf-format. – 9 p.In order to improve the performance of large calibre guns for main battlefield tank applications a wide range of R&D programs have been performed in Germany on electric and electrically supported barrel guns since 1980. In the beginning pure electric gun technologies were investigated including rail, coil and electrothermal acceleration methods. A large calibre 105mm electrothermal gun demonstrator supplied by a 30 MJ capacitive pulsed power supply system was introduced in 1995. Muzzle velocities up to 2.4 km/s were optained with this set-up resulting in muzzle energies up to 5.8 MJ. The missing perspective on solving the energy density requirements of the pulsed power supply technology for a system realization led to the termination of these programs in the beginning of 1996. Due to its limited electrical energy requirements the technology of ETC guns has been investigated during the last years with high priority. It is the goal to provide a future main battle tank gun with increased firepower for integration into the next generation of combat fighting vehicles. Current R&D programmes result in a demonstration of the interior ballistic performance of the different ETC concepts. 120mm ETC demonstrators are used to perform this demonstration.