Armour-piercing ammunition

Armour-piercing (AP) ammunition is a type of projectile designed to penetrate armour, including naval armour, vehicle armour, and body armour.

Armour-piercing ammunition was developed in the late 19th century to defeat the armour of ironclad warships and later, during the 20th century, became a key component of anti-tank warfare. AP ammunition evolved from hardened full-calibre steel shot and shell to include sub-calibre kinetic energy penetrators such as armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) and armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), as armour technology advanced.

Armour-piercing ammunition comprises a variety of projectile designs for use against different targets and armour types, ranging from small-arms ammunition to large-calibre tank and naval gun projectiles. Modern kinetic-energy penetrators are typically made from dense materials such as tungsten heavy alloys or depleted uranium.

Penetration

In the context of weaponry, penetration is the ability of a weapon or projectile to pierce into or through an obstacle. It depends on the specific properties of the bullet, the obstacle, and the angle of impact. The speed of the projectile is particularly important, even in the case of the same kinetic energy.

History

The late 1850s saw the development of the ironclad warship, which carried wrought iron armour of considerable thickness. This armour was practically immune to both the round cast-iron cannonballs then in use and to the recently developed explosive shell.