Pneumatic guns as a new type of universal artillery systems.
Pneumatic guns as a new type of
universal artillery systems.
In the conditions of modern mobile warfare, mobile, highly
maneuverable, low-observable artillery systems with a large ammunition
capacity, a high rate of fire, and capable of conducting both pinpoint and
massive fire on enemy targets will be the most in demand.
Such systems are designed to perform tactical combat missions to
destroy enemy manpower, vehicles and armored vehicles, as well as to suppress
its firing positions - snipers, machine gun nests, mortar, grenade launcher and
artillery crews in open and closed positions.
A comprehensive solution to these problems is impossible with the help
of any of the existing modern artillery systems. Rather, to solve these
problems, the use of artillery systems of various types - grenade launchers,
mortars, cannons or howitzers - is required, which is far from always possible.
Nevertheless, the possibility of a complex solution of these and other
tasks with just one universal artillery system exists, and in this material we
want to demonstrate the capabilities of new universal artillery systems in
which compressed air is used to accelerate the projectile instead of gunpowder.
The war in Ukraine, unleashed by Russia, showed that many weapons
systems used today are obsolete. Successful combat operations require mortar
and artillery systems with high-precision projectiles or with the ability to
deliver massive strikes comparable to carpet bombing of heavy aircraft. Both
are very wasteful. Precision-guided projectiles cost as much as limousines
($112,000 apiece), and conventional howitzer shells, $2,000 apiece, don't shoot
very much. And the resource of a modern howitzer is about 1000 rounds, and then
- for repairs.
The use of pneumatic artillery systems in combat will show completely
different results. The cost of shells for them - unguided and guided - is 10-30
times lower, and it is easy to produce them even in billions. With the same
calibers, the power of a high-explosive projectile of a pneumatic system is
1.5-2 times higher than that of a powder gun. The rate of fire of pneumatic
guns is 5-10 times higher than that of powder guns. And the resource of
pneumatic guns is 100-200 times greater than that of powder guns - shoot until
you get bored.
1. History of pneumatic combat systems.
The history of pneumatic artillery begins in the second half of the
19th century, when powerful pneumatic guns with a caliber of up to 381 mm were
created in the United States for the Coast Guard and installed on heavy
battleships and even on submarines - instead of torpedo tubes. Such cannons
were designed to throw projectiles of enormous destructive power (dynamite
projectiles), which were not possible to fire from conventional powder cannons.
During the First World War, in England and France, pneumatic mortars
were produced that threw mines weighing up 35 кg. a distance of more than a kilometer. By the way,
these were generally the first mortars in the world.
Later, gunpowder artillery was developed in the form of new gunpowder,
explosives, etc. and the need for pneumatic artillery disappeared, especially
since pneumatic artillery remained technologically at the level of the first
systems.
Today, the development of pneumatic guns is carried out in three
countries - Russia, Israel and the United States. Maybe they do it in other
countries, but we don't know about it. In the United States, this work is being
done to improve pneumatic combat and auxiliary systems. Israel is developing
such cannons to protect civilian ships from pirates, since they do not require
special permission when the ship visits ports in different countries. Russia in
general is a special topic.
2 . Pneumatic artillery systems have a lot of advantages
over their gunpowder counterparts.
Air guns have their advantages and disadvantages compared to their
gunpowder counterparts. Our task is to minimize their shortcomings and increase
their advantages in comparison with these analogues.
▪ Semi-automatic and
automatic pneumatic artillery systems are universal systems and can
simultaneously perform the work of grenade launchers, mortars, cannons or
howitzers, firing at a target with direct fire with a flat trajectory, or from
closed positions with a hinged projectile trajectory.
▪ The minimum recoil level is 10-20 times lower than that of powder
analogs.
▪ The maximum rate of fire of such pneumatic artillery systems is much
higher than that of gunpowder systems, which is also affected by the absence of
a projectile case.
▪ It is possible to change the rate of fire from zero to maximum.
▪ The combat rate of fire of these systems corresponds to the rate of
fire, since the entire ammunition of the system is initially placed in its
magazine, and there is no loss of time for its reloading, as well as no danger
of overheating the barrel.
▪ Adjustable shot force from zero to maximum (and, accordingly, the
firing range at a constant elevation angle).
▪ Such systems can be created with the ability to automatically feed
from two to six different types of projectiles, with switching the type of projectile
fed into the barrel, using a single button or handle.
▪ Such systems are less noticeable due to the weak sound of the shot
and the absence of a fire flash and thermal radiation associated with heating
systems.
▪ Relatively small physical volume of ammunition - only the shells
themselves, without shells, gunpowder, tapes, etc., and, accordingly, a large
magazine capacity.
▪ The filling factor of high-explosive projectiles can reach 0.5-0.7,
which is three times higher than that of powder analogues.
▪ The service life of the systems is dozens of times greater, and
amounts to more than 100,000 shots.
▪ Low cost of manufacturing ammunition.
3. Description of possible options for the execution of
pneumatic artillery systems and their main technical characteristics
The technologies proposed in this material, mainly from the field of
pneumatics and precision mechanics, make it possible to create more than a
thousand variants of combat systems of various designs and calibers.
▪ Pneumatic artillery systems can be manufactured in calibers from 40
to
▪ Such artillery systems can be carried out with the number of barrels
from one to six, which turns them into multiple rocket launchers.
▪ Fire from such a system, mounted on a self-propelled chassis, can be
controlled:
- directly, from the place of the shooter-operator,
- remotely, from a closed armored capsule or armored
personnel carrier body,
- remotely, from a remote control, via cable or radio
communication.
▪ A specially designed small-sized compressor station of especially
high power and high pressure will allow such systems, even of the largest
caliber, to maintain continuous automatic firing in direct-flow mode until the
ammunition is completely consumed.
▪ The maximum firing range of them is proportional to the caliber and
is up to one kilometer for every ten millimeters of caliber. That is, with a
caliber of 50 mm, the maximum firing range is
▪ Pneumatic artillery systems are inherently multifunctional and can
perform various tasks:
- to carry out the setting of a smoke screen at a
large distance and area,
- shoot lighting grenades,
- carry out marker shooting,
- make passages in minefields at a distance of up to 3
kilometers,
- carry out instant setting of mines (minefields),
- Provide fire support to infantry
- carry out volley fire and massive barrage fire,
- hit point, including closed, targets - trenches, trenches,
pillboxes,
- destroy mortar, machine-gun and gun crews and
snipers,
- hit enemy armored vehicles with cumulative shells or
napalm.
▪ Such pneumatic artillery systems are also very effective for
launching anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets up to 150 mm in caliber (MANPADS
and ATGMs), since they can give them an initial flight speed of up to 350 m /
s, which increases the range of their flight and target destruction by 3 -4
times.
Comparative characteristics of
some of these systems
|
-#- |
Caliber (mm.) |
Mass of
explosives (kg.) |
Range (m.) |
Rate of fire
(shots / min) |
Magazine
capacity, optimal (pcs.) |
|
1. |
40 |
0.15 |
4000 |
300 |
400-1000 |
|
2. |
50 |
0.4 |
5000 |
300 |
400-1000 |
|
3. |
65 |
0.6 |
6500 |
200 |
300-800 |
|
4. |
85 |
1.5 |
8500 |
120 |
200-600 |
|
5. |
100 |
2.5 |
10000 |
60 |
150-500 |
|
6. |
120 |
4.0 |
12000 |
40 |
80-300 |
|
7. |
150 |
8.0 |
15000 |
thirty |
60-200 |
|
8. |
180 |
18.0 |
10000 |
20 |
40-120 |
|
9. |
240 |
35.0 |
8000 |
10 |
20-80 |
|
10. |
300 |
90.0 |
7000 |
6 |
12-36 |
The table shows that the greatest efficiency of such systems and their
predominance over powder analogs is in the range of calibers from 40 to 100
millimeters.
Being engaged in the development of pneumatic combat systems, the
initiators of the project are working simultaneously in several areas and
taking into account the further modernization of pneumatic artillery:
1). Pneumatic
direct-flow guns (howitzers, mortars, grenade launchers) that run on
compressed air.
These guns are the simplest artillery systems and form the basis for
their upgraded variants, listed below. These guns use automatic reloading
mechanisms that allow firing in bursts and at a high rate of fire (without
which such guns are ineffective) and very large-capacity magazine mechanisms
that allow you not to think about reloading the gun during the battle. In
addition, mechanisms for remote control of them and automatic control of firing
at a given area (programmed firing) will be worked out on these guns.
The maximum speed of the projectile from such guns is up to 400 m / s.
2). Pneumo-thermal guns (howitzers, mortars, grenade launchers) operating on compressed air
using thermal amplification of the shot. The maximum projectile speed of such
guns is more than 700 m / s.
3). Two-level pneumatic guns that run on compressed air using a multiple shot
amplification mechanism. The maximum projectile speed of such guns can exceed
2000 m/s, and the firing range can reach 300 kilometers.
The artillery systems described in paragraphs 2-3 are a modernization
of a direct-flow gun (paragraph 1) with an increase in the power of a shot from
system to system.
4. Brief description of the main types of pneumatic artillery
systems that can be placed on various combat vehicles
Such guns are automatic
pneumatic rapid-fire systems - simultaneously a grenade launcher, mortar and
howitzer and are designed for installation on various wheeled and tracked
chassis, including those specially designed for it. They can also be used on
ships and submarines as combat systems designed to deliver barrage fire or
clear an amphibious landing site.
The main application of
such pneumatic artillery systems of various calibers (40-
The new pneumatic automatic
artillery proposed here has a huge lethality.
Some versions of such
combat vehicles are capable of creating a zone of absolute destruction with an
area of up to three square kilometers with one salvo. And even a small similar
installation with a caliber of only 50 millimeters surpasses the Grad installation
in terms of high-explosive salvo power.
Such pneumatic artillery
can be produced in three different types, briefly described below and designed
to solve various combat missions.
Option 1
An automatic cannon
(howitzer), which is capable of firing up to one thousand shells (up to five
thousand kilograms of active substance) in a few minutes in one burst. In terms
of the power of a volley, one such installation is comparable to a volley of 20
Russian military forty-barreled Grad installations.
In fact, such an artillery
system is a self-propelled automatic howitzer, which is 10-60 times superior to
similar systems in terms of rate of fire, ammunition capacity and resource.
Option-2
Automatic launcher of
guided missiles. In the manufacture of the unit in the form of an anti-tank
system, the area controlled by one unit can be up to 400 square kilometers. In
this case, the almost complete destruction of any equipment or fortified points
in the controlled territory can be guaranteed. The principle of operation of
the unit is relatively simple. It launches reactive homing or guided
projectiles at high elevation angles (45-75 degrees). The projectile, in the
inactive phase, rises to a height of 3-
Simple control of the
systems of such complexes, in any of the indicated embodiments, is carried out
by their operators remotely.
The pneumatic combat
systems offered here, in contrast to their analogues developed by other
companies, have a particularly high intensity of the shot, which allows them to
spend ten times less compressed air per shot than their counterparts, with
equal initial parameters.
A specially designed
small-sized compressor station of high pressure and especially high power will
allow such systems, even of the largest caliber, to maintain, in direct-flow
mode, continuous automatic firing until the ammunition is completely consumed.
As mentioned above,
direct-flow pneumatic combat systems, in comparison with their gunpowder
counterparts, have a lot of advantages and have a huge destructive power, but,
at the same time, the maximum firing range of such systems with passive
projectiles is 5 - , depending on the caliber of the system
But, the proposed pneumatic
systems have several levels of modernization and the firing range of the
so-called combi-pneumatic guns can already be increased to 60-80 kilometers
with a kinetic (inactive) projectile, and if desired, if this occurs at the
customer, and more than 300 kilometers .
For comparison, the
characteristics of the new promising Belarusian MLRS "Flute" and the
project Ukrainian APBS with similar characteristics and on the same chassis are
presented.
The systems cost about the
same.
Comparative
characteristics of systems
|
MLRS Flute-80  A promising Belarusian MLRS Flute based on the chassis of the Russian
truck GAZ-3308 "Sadko" with a 4x4 wheel arrangement in an armored
version. The combat system is an 80-round launcher for launching unguided
rockets. Missile caliber - 80 mm. The number of missiles in a salvo is 80 pieces. ----------------------- The mass of the missile warhead is 3.6 kg. The mass of the entire salvo is 288 kg. Firing range - 1000-3000 meters. The optimal coverage area with one rocket is 700 m 2 . The optimal coverage area with a full salvo is 56.000 m 2 . The cost of one rocket is $ 1,000 The cost of a full volley is $ 80,000 The unit cost of destroying an area of 1 ha is $ 14.286 |
APBS-80  A promising Ukrainian APBS based on the chassis of the Russian truck
GAZ-3308 "Sadko" with a 4x4 wheel arrangement in an armored
version. The combat system is an automatic pneumo-ballistic double-barreled
system (gun). Gun caliber - 80 mm. Cannon magazine capacity - 600 rounds. Rate of fire - up to 200 pieces / min. Projectile weight - 2.8-4.0 kg. The mass of the entire salvo is up to 2400 kg. Firing range - 50-8000 meters. The optimal coverage area with one projectile is 700 m 2 . The optimal coverage area with a full salvo is 420.000 m 2 . The cost of one shell is $ 150 The cost of a full volley is $ 90,000 The unit cost of destroying an area of 1 ha is $ 2.143 |
Comparison of all
characteristics is clearly in favor of the Ukrainian system, the average
efficiency of which (taking into account the volume of a volley and the firing
range) is 12-15 times higher than that of the Belarusian system.
At the same time, the APBS
works quite quietly and without flashes of shots and a fiery trace of the
projectile trajectory, which makes it practically impossible to visually detect
it when working from closed positions.
In Russia, for several
years now, pneumatic automatic grenade launchers with a caliber of 50 mm, and
pneumatic launchers with a caliber of more than 400 mm for launching drones and
cruise missiles have been developed. They do not have the necessary technology,
but they are trying to create such systems. These technologies are available in
Ukraine, but the initiators of the project do not go further than the
development of systems. Many countries are trying to create such systems, but
due to the lack of necessary technologies, they cannot create anything
worthwhile.
5. Versions of pneumatic artillery systems.
For more efficient performance of combat missions, pneumatic artillery
systems can be manufactured in several different versions, differing from each
other in the method of firing and the number of barrels.
Single- and double-barreled universal guns (grenade
launchers).
Such single-barreled universal pneumatic artillery systems correspond
to the systems described above in this material.
Their double-barreled versions are not two twin automatic guns, but one
double-barreled air gun with a common mechanism for alternately reloading two
barrels. The double-barreled version of such guns differs from their
single-barreled counterparts only in the increased overall rate of fire of the
system.
Multi-barreled artillery systems.
It is possible to manufacture multi-barreled pneumatic artillery
systems designed for salvo fire.
Such systems may have:
- three trunks placed in a horizontal row,
- four trunks placed in pairs, one above the other,
- six trunks, three trunks in a row and two rows, one
above the other,
Such systems are designed to fire individual volleys from all of their
barrels. The shot is fired alternately from all the barrels of the system,
while the interval between shots from individual barrels of the system with a
caliber of 50-65 mm is less than 0.02 seconds. Thus, a volley from such a
six-barreled system lasts about 0.1 seconds, which means that all the shells of
the volley approach the target almost simultaneously. The reload time for all
barrels of the system is a few seconds. Thus, such an artillery system is
capable of carrying out massive shelling of the territory.
A feature of such artillery systems is also the fact that they have the
ability to change the density of the volley. So, all six shells can be placed
at one point, or they can be dispersed over an area up to
In addition, each next volley can be automatically redirected to the
area next to the area hit by the previous volley.
Such small-caliber pneumatic artillery systems (50-65 mm) are the best
suited to combat fire spotters, snipers, machine gun and grenade launcher
nests, enemy mortar and artillery crews at a distance of up to 5-8 kilometers,
which in modern combat is more than sufficient.
6. Other applications of pneumatic artillery systems
1). Such pneumatic artillery systems with a caliber of
40-100 mm can be used as the main armament of river and sea boats or as barrage
(anti-torpedo) fire systems on warships. Systems with a caliber of 100-150 mm
can be used to clear a bridgehead during landings, and systems with a caliber
of 240-400 mm can serve as launchers for anti-submarine depth charges.
2). Such systems can be used on civilian ships to protect
against pirates. Small-caliber air cannons, firing plastic containers or
pellets, are capable of sinking pirate boats at ranges in excess of
3). Such two and four-barreled systems can be successfully
used against drones and many missiles, firing salvos of cluster or
high-explosive munitions at them.
4). Such systems can also have many civilian uses:
firefighting systems, guns to fight hailstorms, to control avalanches, salute
guns, guns to scare away birds near airfields, etc.
7. Conclusions
Universal pneumatic guns can have the widest distribution with a
caliber of 40-65 millimeters and can be installed on ships and boats, on
armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles, as well as on light
special chassis or on all-wheel drive pickups. Such systems can be used very
effectively as the main weapon on remote-controlled chassis (wheeled and
tracked robots).
In the conditions of modern maneuver wars and armed conflicts, the
technology of pneumatic artillery makes it possible to effectively solve
tactical combat missions without any special costs for organizing production -
the production of gunpowder is not required, and air for pneumatics is
everywhere. Barrels for such systems are supplied from EU countries and cost
ten times cheaper than gunpowder counterparts, and shells of various types can
be made even on thermoplastics in unlimited quantities.
My WhatsApp: +380675066940
E-mail: anndress@ukr.net
Best regards, Oleksandr Kostrytskyi
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