PeeD
FULL MEMBER
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2014
- Messages
- 1,510
- Reaction score
- 21
- Country
- Location
However, against DU armour tanks they will not do well on offense (going up against DU armour) or defense (going up against DU shells). If Iran’s upgraded tanks can fire next gen anti tank missiles some of this disadvantage can be made up.
There nothing magical about DU.
In a NERA design it just induces a greater shock magnitude due to its high density with low density material behind it.
Russians/Soviets didn't even bother to use it, they would just add another NERA layer of steel for that (x2) DU weight.
Same for APFSDS: Tungsten just lacks the pyro effect after penetration, peneration performance is very close.
Realistically the only likely country to wage a land war on Iran is USA. Thus Iran’s mechanized armour should reflect facing that opponents tanks.
T-90/Karrar would do well against M1A2.
What Iran lacks might be crew training and supply system that can keep pace with the advancing tank division.
Penetration is not everything in a battle. It would be likely that neither side manages 0° direct penetration.
When both sides close in and that 0° changes to 30° and more, here Irans APFSDS rounds will have no problems anymore.
T-90 is extremely well armored even at 30° off.
Furthermore, I cannot comment on Russian rumors, tho I will say their philosophy since the Soviet Union days has been quantity over quality on the battlefield. They believed they can could overwhelm NATO on sheer numbers rapidly deployed in case of conflict.
Everything has its downside. If your rod becomes long but thin, it breaks easier after a ERA and later NERA shock (s).
In fact the Soviet 125mm gun is more powerful than the NATO 120mm pressure/power/lenght wise.
In the days of K-5 ERA, the U.S thought their long rod penetrators would not be at risk to break.
Relict is said to be specifically designed to make use of the fragile nature of a long rod penetrator.
So you can't do magic: You design a penetrator that is not at risk of breaking by the known means the enemy may apply, just tick enough to be not at risk. The rest is dictated by the chamber pressure and length of your gun.
Fun fact: Soviet planners did not think western tanks would play any meaningful role in the ground invasion of western Europe in the 80's. Too few, too easily killed when outflanked due to their huge silhouette. Numerical superiority was also too overwhelming (reason: much more effective design).