Airburst effect from 40mm round on dummy soldiers

An airburst round is a type of tactical anti-personnel and anti-aircraft explosive ammunition, typically a shell or grenade, that detonates in midair, causing air burst effect fragment damage to enemy personnel or aircraft (notably comparably unsophisticated unmanned aircraft systems such as modified racing drones). In the latter case, airburst rounds are used in anti-aircraft or "zenith" cannon, known in military slang as FLAK (from the German "fliegerabwehrkanone", air defence cannon) or ack-ack (from the British phonetic alphabet, as an initialism for Anti Air).

This makes it easier to hit enemy soldiers behind a wall, in a defensive fighting position, or in a confined space or room. It is used on many guns, from artillery to the hand-held XM25 Individual Airburst Weapon System (derived from the XM29 OICW). Unlike traditional grenades, such as the 40 mm grenade, smart grenades can be electronically programmed to explode after traveling a certain distance. A fire control computer or some other electronic sighting system is used to quickly program the electronic fuse with any distance, as conditions dictate.

Orbital ATK developed 30x173mm Mk310 PABM-T airburst rounds for Mk44 Bushmaster II.[1][2]

Terminology

It is also called an airburst shell, air burst grenade, programmable ammunition, 3P ammunition or smart grenade.

List of airburst round platforms

20mm grenades shown in front of a S&T Daewoo K11, a Korean Bullpup dual-barrel airburst multi-weapon.

External media

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1dVcJXXxcY - Video showing effects of 40mm programmable - airburst ammunition

References

  1. ↑ "30mm & 20mm x 173mm Munition System". Orbitak ATK. Archived from the original on 2017-07-02.
  2. ↑ "30mm x 173mm Air Burst Munition System" (PDF). Orbital ATK. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-29.
  3. ↑ "TASS: Military & Defense - Russia to develop anti-drone shrapnel ammunition".
  4. ↑ "UVZ to unveil modernized BMP-1 with 2A72 cannon at Army 2018 | August 2018 Global Defense Security army news industry | Defense Security global news industry army 2018 | Archive News year".
  5. ↑ "MK 30-2". www.deagel.com.
  6. ↑ "Germany Opts for Mauser Automatic Cannon MK 30-2 with Air Burst Munition". www.defense-aerospace.com.
  7. ↑ "Rheinmetall Defence - R&D focus - effectors". www.rheinmetall-defence.com.


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