Artillery Research Articles

Efficient Design of Gun-Tube Considering Inner Pressure of Bore

Artillery gun tube experiences very high pressure according to the blast of propellant charge. Therfore, it is essential to guarantee the structural safety of the gun tube. On the other hand, weight reduction of gun tube is also a crucial design factor since the agility of artillery vehicle directly leads to its survivability. In this line of thought, this work proposed an efficient design procedure which utilizes the convex combination of breech pressure and projectile base pressure time histories. Its efficiency is verified by comparing with other procedures. Other procedures utilize different computed max pressure rather than the convex combination design pressure. Additionally, a transient analysis is carried out considering the projectile movement and the corresponding pressure distribution through the newly developed ABAQUS user-subroutine. The analysis confirms the structural safety of the lightweight gun tube designed by the proposed method.

Investigation of friction and wear characteristics between modular charge and aluminum alloy for feeding process in artillery systems

In modern artillery systems, frictional properties of modular charge significantly impact the operation of artillery feeding system. In this study, Tribology performance between modular charge and aluminum alloy were investigated under simulated environment of artillery. The result indicates that the COF initially increased and then decreases with the temperature dropped from 50 °C to −40 °C. Additionally, COF increased from 0.19 to 0.41 when relative velocity increased from 100 mm/s to 2000mm/s. SEM detection and chemical composition analysis demonstrated that the main wear forms are adhesive wear and abrasive wear. The tribofilm including aluminum titanium oxide and aluminum nitrides generated through tribochemical reaction, which are beneficial for boundary lubrication. This work provides theoretical reference for artillery tribology research.

PROCEDURE FOR IDENTIFYING ARTILLERY MEANS OF DESTRUCTION

For evidence in the International Criminal Court of the crimes of the Russian Federation for strikes on civilian infrastructure, substantial evidence is required. Indeed, indisputable evidence includes fragments of missiles and munitions found at the sites of impact. The article presents the procedure for identifying enemy artillery means of destruction, which consists of eight stages. The procedure for identifying artillery means of destruction from fragments found at the scene should be comprehensive, including the determination of the type of munition, identification of the probable area of enemy firing positions from which the strike was conducted, and should include the following stages: inspection of the crater to collect informative fragments; determination of the type of munition; identification of the type of artillery system from which the fire was conducted; determination of the direction from which the artillery shell was fired; identification of the probable area of enemy firing positions. The use of 3D models for reconstructing the shell casing has been proposed, which will enable the identification of enemy types of munitions much faster and without the need for laboratory analysis. Based on the results of the munition type identification, an expert report is compiled, which may also include the names of individuals involved in the crime. Step-by-step execution of the stages in the procedure for identifying artillery shell explosions, starting with working at the crater and ending with comparative measurements, including the use of 3D models, will optimize and facilitate the work of experts at the scene and speed up the process of providing information to investigators. Additionally, applying the stages of the procedure will enable the creation of a database of identified fragments for further study and comparison during the experts' work. Thus, the proposed procedure for identifying fragments of enemy artillery munitions collected from the scene will significantly ease the work of military personnel and forensic experts, facilitate cooperation between forensic laboratories and law enforcement agencies at both national and international levels, and ultimately contribute to the successful investigation of war crimes.

Сombat operations model of a single self-propelled artillery system for the computer game ARMA 3

Military computer games are an important segment of the world media culture and media business. In addition to the entertainment aspect, military simulators play an important role in the training of future military specialists. However, quite often the scenario component of military gaming lags behind the rapid development of real military equipment. World experience of military conflicts of the 21st century shows that the most intensively developing segment of ground forces weapons is its artillery component. In this paper, a model of combat use of a new generation artillery system is developed. The model is intended for modification of the military game ARMA 3. The new generation artillery system is a large-caliber gun with a high level of automation. It has a high rate of fire, maneuverability, and shooting accuracy. Due to these qualities, the new generation artillery system is comparable in combat power to a unit of traditional guns and can carry out combat operations in single mode. A technique has been developed for dynamically assessing the current combat capability of an artillery system, taking into account the resource costs during fire activity, including indirect hits by the enemy. It is shown that in addition to traditional tactical counter-battery tasks, an artillery system can be used to destroy a suddenly emerging high-risk target. A high-risk target is a non-artillery system capable of causing very large damage in a short period of time. Based on the method of dynamically assessing the current combat capability, a tree of artillery system states is constructed. It includes the most probable states of the artillery system and the corresponding design parameters. A ratio is obtained that allows, for a known state of the artillery system, to estimate the number of shots needed to hit the target with the required guaranteed probability. Calculated examples show that a new-generation artillery system is capable of destroying a high-risk target, sometimes even at the cost of its own loss. The developed model is implemented and is being tested as a mod for the war game ARMA 3.

Combustible cartridge case material characteristics evaluation

AbstractCombustible cartridge cases are parts of modular charges used in modern artillery systems. Some types of combustible cartridge case materials have exhibited problems during pyrostatic measurements caused by their difficult ignition. This article explores the possibility of testing the combustible cartridge case material mixed with a propellant of known ballistic properties and then separating the influence of that propellant using methods of mathematical analysis. The aim of this work is to create methodology for closed vessel tests of combustible cartridge case material. Outcome involves the characterization of combustible cartridge case material ballistic properties, including its burn rate parameters. Calculations described in this paper could potentially be modified to be applicable to other cases of mixture of two propellants.

Induced Generalized Intuitionistic Fuzzy OWA Operator on GRA Method for Evaluation of Self-Propelled Artillery System: Ammunition Based Computer Assisted Military Experiment

The Self-Propelled Artillery System selection problem, which is a sub-problem of the Weapon Systems Selection Problems (WSSP), is an extremely important strategic level decision problem and constitutes the main focus of this study. To solve the problem, 3 different weapon systems were evaluated based on 7 criteria. The solution methodology consists of the integration of induced generalized ordered weighted averaging (IG-IFOWA) operator and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA). Such a solution proposal has not been seen in previous WSSP applications. To test the validity and applicability of the proposed methodology, the results of the study were tested on an ammunition-based computer-aided military experiment. The results reveal the effectiveness of the selected weapon system.

Gruson’s Fahrpanzer – Historical insights thanks to non-destructive materials science

Abstract Gruson’s Fahrpanzer is a remarkable example of the military-technological changes occurring in the 19th century. It is a small and movable armour carriage for guns, i. e., an artillery piece shielded by armor. It was invented by Hermann Gruson and Maximilian Schumann and exported around the world. Even though the technical data had been documented extensively at the time, knowledge about the materials used and their mechanical properties have not survived. For this paper, one of Gruson’s Fahrpanzers was analyzed for the first time through materials science. The hypothesis that Gruson used his famous chilled cast iron for the Fahrpanzer could thus be refuted.

Die Wiederentdeckung dreier Mörserkanonen (Bombarden) aus der Waffenkammer der Stadt Hermannstadt (16. Jh.)

The invention of gunpowder in the 9th century can be seen like mankind being gifted fire for a second time. In the centuries to follow it had many practical applications, but the first ballistic usage of gunpowder is mentioned in the 13th century. Shortly after, in the 14th century, the first cannons were created. These empiric versions of artillery objects were bulky and cumbersome metal cannons called bombards. They were cast out of copper alloy such as bronze, or they were made out of iron. The focus of this paper lies on the latter and for that reason a short understanding of metallurgy was necessary. Period documents show that, in the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, there were active workshops for casting cannons since the late 14th century. Geopolitical turmoil in the 15th century forces Transylvanian cities to amass a great deal of fire weapons and arms. Further inquiry showed that in Sibiu, in the 16th century, amongst the weapons being made and kept in the city's arsenal were three mortar canons. Since a great number of the original arsenal is still in existence in the history museum of Sibiu but the collection lacks artillery pieces such as cannons, bombards or mortars, such weapons were considered to be lost throughout history. This paper aims to remediate these by giving back to the city's community its three cast iron mortar cannons.

Forging alliances: examining civil-military partnerships and their impact on war-time casualty care in Sri Lanka

Over the course of the 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government forces, LTTE’s ‘military’ capacity and strategy evolved from guerrilla-type ambushes using landmines to semi-conventional warfare with light arms and eventually to heavy artillery and improvised explosive devices. This evolution required both military and civil surgeons to enhance their knowledge and skills in managing high-energy war wounds to handle the large number of casualties admitted to health institutions. The Sri Lanka Medical Corps (SLMC) had been meticulously organized into echelons of care with graded capacity and capability to medivac battle injured personnel from point of injury to definitive care facilities. All injured personnel eventually found their way to Colombo Army Hospital and Ragama Rehabilitation Hospital for comprehensive rehabilitation. The civil war in Sri Lanka presented a significant influx of war-related injuries, demanding the creation of a comprehensive system seamlessly integrating both military and civilian elements. With a decade of peace, accompanied by shifts in injury epidemiology, the evolving landscape has mandated the exploration of innovative strategies to sustain and enhance the surgical skill-base for both military and civilian casualty care.

Fault Diagnosis Methods for an Artillery Loading System Driving Motor in Complex Noisy Environments

With the development of modern military technology, electrical drive technology has become a power source for modern artillery. In fault monitoring of a driving motor mounted on a piece of artillery, various sensors are susceptible to interference from the complex environment, both inside and outside the artillery itself. In this study, we creatively propose a fault diagnosis model based on an attention mechanism, the AdaBoost method and a wavelet noise reduction network to address the difficulty in obtaining high-quality motor signals in complex noisy interference environments. First, multiple fusion wavelet basis, soft thresholding, and index soft filter optimization were used to train multiple wavelet noise reduction networks that could recover sample signals under different noise conditions. Second, a convolutional neural network (CNN) classification module was added to construct end-to-end classification models that could correctly identify faults. The above basis classification models were then integrated into the AdaBoost method with an improved attention mechanism to develop a fault diagnosis model suitable for complex noisy environments. Finally, two experiments were conducted to validate the proposed method. Under motor signals with varying signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) noises, the proposed method achieved an average accuracy of 92%, surpassing the conventional method by over 8.5%.

A Preliminary Comparative Analysis of Russian Military Operations in Grozny and Kyiv | Uma análise comparative preliminary das operações militares russas em Grozny e em Kyiv

The article aims at a comparative analysis of the Russian military operations in Kyiv, during the current war in Ukraine, and those carried out in Grozny, during the 1st Chechen War, namely from a discursive and operational standpoint, in order to highlight similarities and differences between both cases and clarify the comparisons used during the attempted siege of Kyiv. The analysis shows the existence of several similarities between the Russian invasion of Kyiv and that of Grozny, notwithstanding the end result, namely from the discursive, the Russian armed force’s preparation and planning, the adversary’s response and the invader’s moral standpoints, as well as in the use of heavy artillery, namely against civilian populations. These similarities raise additional questions about the Russian armed force’s loss of quality during the Putin era, following several military successes. Lastly, the use of this comparison served essentially to raise awareness in the public and in international institutions about what could happen in Kyiv (and in the rest of Ukraine) and to emphasise the need for support to Ukraine on the West’s behalf.

СИЛА ТА МОМЕНТ СИЛИ МАГНУСА. ЇХ ВПЛИВ НА ДАЛЬНІСТЬ СТРІЛЬБИ 155-ММ СНАРЯДІВ

An important component of the main vector of aerodynamic forces and moments of the projectile is the force and moment from the Magnus force, which significantly affect the dynamics of the projectile flight. At the same time, the influence of the Magnus force and moment on the flight of projectiles has been studied relatively little, in addition, the leading scientists of Ballistic Research Laboratories (USA) published quantitative indicators achieved during its calculations, which do not fully meet the requirements for the accuracy of their determination. It is shown that the Magnus force and moment depend on the density of the air, the angular velocity of rotation and the velocity of the projectile, the lateral surface and diameter of the projectile, as well as the angle of its nutation. To evaluate the influence of the Magnus force and moment (their aerodynamic coefficients) on the range of the projectile, a difference method is used, which consists in solving the system of differential equations of spatial motion of a projectile so that changing the value of the aerodynamic coefficient results in a change in the value of the flight range. Numerical modeling of the dependence of the flight range of the 155-mm PF Assegai M2000 projectile and the 155-mm PF ERFB/BB projectile on the change in the magnitude of aerodynamic force and Magnus moment coefficients by 1 % was carried out. It is shown that the aerodynamic force coefficient of Magnus creates the largest errors in the range at the minimum charge, the deviation reaches – 0,005 %, the smallest at the maximum charge – 0,003 %. The largest error in the flight range of the projectile from the aerodynamic coefficient of the Magnus moment is observed at the minimum charge, the deviation reaches 0,6 % D; the effect on other charges leads to much smaller deviations, which are 1-3 orders of magnitude smaller compared to the minimum charge. The obtained results provide an opportunity to assess the required accuracy of determining the aerodynamic coefficients of the Magnus force and the moment of the Magnus force under different conditions of firing by artillery systems.

ВПЛИВ ПОЛЯРНОГО ТА ЕКВАТОРІАЛЬНОГО ДЕМПФУЮЧИХ МОМЕНТІВ СНАРЯДА НА ДАЛЬНІСТЬ ЙОГО ПОЛЬОТУ

A relevant and important issue in the calculation of projectile flight trajectories is the definition and presentation of the equatorial and polar damping moments in the system of differential equations of spatial motion of projectiles. It is shown that the damping moments are determined by the shape and orientation of the projectile, the nature of the flow, the type of boundary layer and its interaction with shock waves, the speed, the height of the projectile and its nutation angle. To evaluate the influence of the aerodynamic coefficients of the equatorial and polar damping moments (their aerodynamic coefficients) on the flight range of the projectile, the method of differences is used, which consists in solving the system of differential equations of the spatial motion of the projectile so that changing the value of the aerodynamic coefficient results in a change in the flight range. Numerical modeling of the dependence of the flight range of the 155-mm HE Assegai M2000 projectile on the change in the aerodynamic coefficients of the equatorial and polar damping moments by 1% was carried out. It is shown that the aerodynamic coefficient of the polar damping moment creates the largest errors in the range at the maximum and minimum charges, namely, at the maximum charge the error reaches 0.012%D, at the minimum charge – 0.01%D, the effect on intermediate charges is manifested in a much smaller form, and not exceeds the value of 0.005%D. The largest error in the flight range of the projectile from the aerodynamic coefficient of the equatorial damping moment is observed at the maximum charge, the deviation reaches 0.07%D, the smallest error at the minimum charge is 0.0001%D. The obtained results make it possible to estimate the required accuracy of determining the aerodynamic coefficients of the equatorial and polar damping moments under different firing conditions of artillery systems.

DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPROVING THE WEAR RESISTANCE OF THE WORKING SURFACES OF RIFLED BARRELS OF ARTILLERY SYSTEMS AND INCREASE THEIR RESOURCE

The accuracy of the damage and the outcome of the battle depend on the durable wear resistance of the inner surface of the artillery barrels. When fired, there is close contact between the surface of the barrel and the rings of softer metal on the projectile (this is for the tightness of the system), which leads to their active abrasion. True, the softer surfaces of the rings on the projectile wear more, but with such rapid mutual movement of the surfaces, the harder materials of the barrel also wear. As a result, the tightness of the powder gases is violated and, accordingly, the power of the shot and the flight range of the projectile, as well as the amplitude of the oscillation of the projectile during its passage through the barrel increases. This in turn affects the accuracy of hitting the target, especially at long distances. For close combat, this is not a big problem, but long-range artillery systems are most important now. In this regard, the purpose of this research is to develop a technology for manufacturing a cannon barrel with the most wear-resistant inner surface. At the same time, a brief review of artillery systems, which are currently used mainly in the Russian-Ukrainian war, is made. The scheme of the manufacturing technology of rifled tank barrels with an increased resource of aiming lesions is described. The methodology is based on the technology of their surface hardening with high-frequency currents and grinding of microcracks, which appear as a result, developed by the authors. The main factors that ensure a high resource of barrels according to the technology are their high heat resistance and wear resistance. Heat resistance is achieved by optimizing the material on the samples, wear resistance by optimizing the parameters of the surface hardening technology of the inner surface of the barrel. The method of calculating the survivability of the barrel is given, when after hardening and grinding of the barrel, a micro crack remained on its inner surface.

Effect of modified method based on recoil motion on interior ballistic performance of ultralight high-low pressure artillery

Light gun is of unique application prospect for its low body mass and projectile initial velocity. In order to solve the problem of calculation error caused by the large free recoil velocity of light artillery in traditional interior ballistic model, a more suitable internal ballistic model for ultralight artillery was proposed through the design and test of a light gun, the accuracy of the algorithm was verified. The model described the effect of the recoil motion of the gun on chamber pressure and projectile acceleration travel, which made the calculation result more accurate when the gun mass was lighter. Compared with the experimental data, the errors of the calculation results using the improved algorithm were 2.90 % and 0.33 % respectively, while that using the traditional algorithm were 20.38 % and 10.02 % respectively. At the same time, the extended calculation was carried out to analyze the impact of the buffer device on the interior ballistic performance. The result showed that the lighter the gun, the greater the improvement brought by the buffer device under the same mass and recoil resistance. When the mass of the projectile and the gun was both 3 kg, the resistance of 70 kN could increase the velocity of projectile by 16.2 %. Furthermore, the internal ballistic elements of the traditional algorithm and the improved algorithm were calculated respectively under the same working conditions. It was found that when the mass of the gun is 8.567 times the mass of the bullet, the error of the two algorithms was less than 1 %, and the error increased gradually with the mass ratio of gun and projectile decreasing.

Development and optimization of simulation models and methods for controlling virtual artillery units in game scenarios

In the realm of modern video game development, special attention is given to the simulation of artillery systems, which play a crucial role in various military-themed games. This research presents a mathematical model for simulating the actions of a virtual artillery system. The model is designed to manage the execution of combat tasks, including targeting destruction with a specified number of shells and incorporating the strategic movement between firing positions to minimize detection and attack by enemy forces in the game. The model presumes that all shots are effective and equates the number of firing positions to the number of shots, with a minimum of one shot per position. The model's dynamics do not allow for returning to previous positions, adding a layer of complexity and realism to the gameplay. Movement simulations between positions are designed along virtual roads of varying quality, enhancing the strategic elements of the game. A method for determining the optimal strategy for the artillery system's actions has been developed, introducing the concept of the current structure of combat task execution. This problem-solving approach falls within the realm of Pareto-oriented tasks or dynamic programming challenges. The computational method of the model is based on a general algorithm, underpinned by specialized additional algorithms. Results from this model demonstrate the feasibility of completing combat tasks effectively, with a maximum of two shots per firing position. The research differentiates between defensive and offensive tactics in gameplay, suggesting that while a strategy involving ten shots per target aligns with defensive gameplay, a strategy with four shots per target aligns with offensive actions. Consequently, the "shot-and-scoot" tactic in an offensive context can be aptly termed as “hid-and-shot”.

Prevalence, causes and outcomes of war-related civilian injuries in Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray region: a community-based descriptive study

ObjectiveWar and armed conflicts are the major causes of mortality, morbidity and disability. This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of injury, cause and its outcome among civilians during the war in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.ResultsA community based cross sectional study was conducted to collect data from a total of 4,381 sample households. Descriptive analysis was applied and the data are presented using frequencies, percentages, tables and statements. Of the study participants, 6.9% (95% CI: 6.2%, 7.6%) of civilians encountered any kind of war-related physical injury. About Two-third (95% CI: 59%, 73%) of the physical injuries were caused by bullet followed by heavy artillery shelling (proportion = 23%; 95% CI: 17%, 29%). Painfully, about 44% (95% CI: 37%, 50%) faced death following injuries and the other 56.2% (95% CI: 50%, 62.5%) either survived or encountered disability. Post war rehabilitation for the disabled is recommended to enable them live healthy, dignified, independent and productive citizens.

ANALYSIS OF THE METHODICAL APPARATUS FOR FORECASTING THE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF ARTILLERY GUNS AND AMMUNITION

This scientific article is aimed at the analysis of the methodological apparatus used to predict the qualitative characteristics of artillery guns and ammunition. Artillery plays a key role in military operations, and it is important to understand and predict the key parameters that determine its effectiveness and safety. This work examines in detail the methodical apparatus for forecasting the qualitative characteristics of artillery guns and ammunition. One of the main ways to increase the balance of the process of development of artillery weapons samples is program planning, which, based on the results of forecasted development studies, determines the main directions of research on the development of weapons. The second path concerns the technical characteristics of artillery guns, including their caliber, firing range, accuracy and charge characteristics. It is important to determine how these parameters affect the gun’s ability to engage and to determine their relevance to the needs of military operations The third path focuses on the cost of artillery systems. The cost of development, production, maintenance and modernization of the systems is projected, as well as the economic aspects and the impact on the budget are considered. This article aims to make a significant contribution to the development of scientific approaches to predicting the quality characteristics of artillery guns and ammunition. The results of the research can be useful for the military, defense and industrial sectors aimed at ensuring national security and military activities. Keywords: artillery guns, ammunition, specifications, quality characteristics, cost, safety, forecasting, analysis, military operations, national security, explosive charges, firing range, technology, modernization, production, maintenance, technical system.

ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICATION OF AIRCRAFT INSTALLATIONS AND THE PROSPECTS OF THEIR MODERNIZATION

On the battlefield, the Ukrainian military uses towed anti-aircraft guns such as the S-60, which are still effective when used against ground targets. 57-mm anti-aircraft artillery systems are currently ineffective against modern air targets such as combat aircraft, drones and attack helicopters. But taking into account the caliber of the anti-aircraft installation, it can be used not only for its intended purpose, but also for firing at manpower and lightly armored vehicles with direct fire, and not only that. S-60 ammunition is powerful due to its caliber and sufficient rate of fire. When installing these guns on the chassis of trucks, it turns them into mobile self-propelled artillery installations and quite versatile and easy-to-use weapons. Anti-aircraft guns began to enter the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from storage bases not only of their own stocks, but also from partner countries. Ukrainian soldiers continue to use such weapons on the battlefield, their use is effective and convenient. Keywords: towed anti-aircraft installation, automatic cannon, barrel, bolt, projectile.

Influence of clearance between cradle and barrel on nonlinear dynamic response of the artillery system

The artillery weapon system,characterized as a complex nonlinear mechanical system, is influenced by various factors affecting its muzzle vibration response.In the article, the model of the artillery system with variable cross-section and multistep barrel is established on the basis of the bending deformation equation, and the fundamental frequency equation is obtained, and the auxiliary verification is completed through modal testing and finite element methods. Then, considering the clearance between the barrel and the cradle, the equivalent nonlinear dynamic model of the vertical vibration of the muzzle is established is established. Furthermore, the multi-scale analysis method obtains the amplitude-frequency curve of the equivalent model under sinusoidal excitation, and analyzes the influence of parameters on the response characteristics. Finally, the vibration research system of the model of the artillery system is constructed to study the vibration characteristics of the muzzle. The results show that the equivalent nonlinear dynamic model established in the paper has certain accuracy, which can provide a certain reference for the related research of the artillery system