Sorry but I find that extremely hard to swallow!!How is the Indian context anymore different than the others??Are facing some different types of threats that are completely unique to our context and threats which can not be countered by smooth barrel guns??If that's the case, then I would certainly want to know about those unique threats and if that's not the case, then your reasoning behind clinging on to a rifled gun from the 80s era doesn't hold any water I'm afraid.
In the context of the comparative trials, the gun wasn't really a prime factor since the relative performance of the different ammunition was not a criteria and since, can be and should be ignored from the equation altogether.
Exactly, and that's what I can't fathom.Why the hell would they carry on with an outdated and weaker gun from the 80s when cheaper and better alternatives can be made available within a relatively short order??And if they love rifled guns so much, they why didn't they bat an eye while selecting their T series tanks??Something doesn't add up.
That depends.
Rifled guns are not suited for HEAT rounds since the spin imparted from rifling affects formation of the metal jets.
Yes, a round that can be optimised for smooth barrel guns with little difficulty!!All you need to do is just add some fins in its ass and voila!!
Great, glad that we are on the same page here, between you and me, sir.
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Alright, no problem there.
1. The CAG Report No.24 of 2011-12 (Defense Services) explains the development of DRDO Mk-2 round:
“Ministry of Defence, Department of Defence Research and Development (DDRD) in May 1996 sanctioned the above project at a cost of INR 2.30 crore to be completed by May 1998. It was sanctioned by DRDO without GSQR from Army HQ. The project after four revisions of probable date of completion (PDC) and three cost revisions, was closed in December 2004 after an expenditure INR 7.27 crore. The ammunition developed by the Laboratory did not meet the Users’ requirement as Users expressed an apprehension as to whether the trials conducted for MK-II ammunition in the absence of GSQR for this ammunition would qualify as user trials. To resolve the issue, the ammunition was subjected to Accelerated User Cum Reliability Trials (AUCRT) in August 2007 which again proved to be unsatisfactory. Ministry of Defence in its reply in February 2011 stated that trials with 30 rounds of improved ammunition, have been successfully completed in May 2010 and Army HQ has given go ahead for accelerated user trials with 500 rounds of the improved ammunition. Ministry’s reply should be viewed in the background of the fact that even after a lapse of 15 years the ammunition is yet to be inducted. Such ammunition is still being imported by Army.”
This ammunition is into production in 2015.
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I was already aware of it and there's nothing contradictory to my earlier statements.
And merely adding more powerful propellant and lighter sabot petals will have a rather marginal effect on the end result, at least no where near to the extent necessary to bring the penetration value at 500+ level at 2 km, as has been stated.
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Which means, it has been outclassed even before its very inception and that too, by rounds designed in the previous decade or even previous century if we are to count the M829A2's value as true!!
