
.
The Round
The APDSFS ammunition is the main ammunition of modern tanks. It does't contain explosives
and uses the high impact velocity to penetrate the target. APDSFS stands for
Armor
Piercing
Discarding
Sabot
Fin
Stabilized. A cylindrical rod - preferably made of a heavy metal like
tungsten or depleted uranium - is the heart of the cartridge. This rod penetrates the target
material only due to the very high kinetic energy. The hollow space between the gun barrel
and the penetrator is filled out with a sabot which transfers the pressure of the propellant
gases to the penetrator. The high velocity causes a very flat trajectory with a short flight
time and a good accuracy performance.
Photo on the left side:
Cutaway of a 105 mm APDSFS-T with a brass cartridge case