Advantages Of Combustible Cartridge Cases
Combustible cartridge cases bring numerous advantages compared with conventional metallic cases:
- Fully combustible concept, i.e. no spent cases.
- Full ballistic performance from -40°C (-40°F) to 60°C (140°F).
- Increased firing rate.
- Reduction in barrel wear.
- Protection of the propellant charge.
- Compatibility with automatic loading due to high mechanical properties.
- Additional energy to fire, contributes energy to the ballistic cycle.
- Reduction in charge costs, particularly for artillery charges.
- Contribution to charge vulnerability reduction: lower reaction level for all types of threats.
- Improved crew compartment environment due to reduction in noxious fumes and clutter from spent metal cases and thus increased crew effectiveness.
- Work at higher chamber pressures, for which extraction of metallic cartridge cases would be impossible.
- Total round weight reduction resulting in easing burden on tank crew and improved logistics system.
The combustible case is chemically compatible with single, double and triple base propellants. Advanced, high energy granular and stick propellants are used in existing applications. These cases can be expected to survive 20 years of controlled field storage. The advantages of combustible ordnance can be applied to most high pressure tank main armament system requirements.
