‘Something’ felled an M1A1 Abrams tank in Iraq – but what?

[gf0012-aust]

The problem with my view is due to a few conditions:

The technology is not commonly available
The technology skills to build and adapt it are hampered by the first point
The signature of the weapon is so distinct that the makers would automatically be invited in by their relevant national security agency to do a please explain.
The residue is a western trait for some weaps
The lack of spalling shows a non explosive outcome, and it indicates a high speed entry that has ricocheted around on exit of the first "plate"
The small entry hole indicates a penetrator, again this is not a normal ordinance feature except for "western" weaps solutions.
It doesn't make sense to use the penetrator part of the solution with an ATGM, ATM, or UGATM, it's an "off" target kill.

Considering all of the above, to me it still has all the signatures of the type of ordinance that I "think" it is.

It creates a lot more questions than answers

 

[elkaboingo]

Re: ‘Something’ felled an M1A1 Abrams tank in Iraq – but what?

you could be right, iran has american weapons

 

[suleman]

gf0012
u definitely saying some logical things.But if signatures are present then why they had not found the evidence of what hit the tank.This definitely indicates that the weapon does not have any signatures or known type.Again as u said it arises many questions and concerns.

 

[gf0012-aust]

I would hazard a guess that the forensics on the strike have given them a clue, I'd also bet that until they confirm their own suspicions this event will not surface again in discussions.

It will start to take on urban myth proportions and they will just let it happen.

 

[Awang se]

I think, the guns is not of Iraqi origin. Remember that if anyone want to test their newly developed weapons, what is the best test if not to one of the best in the world. in this case, an abrams. The lack of law in Iraq and an unprotected border make it easy for the individual to bring this weapon in. remember that the Croatians have developed a 30mm sniper rifle. The shot came through the turret skirt which is a very small window. this required a precise targeting. something the Sniper rifle is design for.

This is a exampled scenario i've come up with :

A russian decide to test their new AT sniper rifled with new AT penetrator round. They see that the Iraq is a best testing ground and there is many Abrams crawling around as a test subject. they put the gun into the diplomatic package and send to the russian embassy in Jordan or Syria (the diplomatic package means it would circumvent checking). at the same time, a Spetsnaz train with this weapon came as an embassy officials. then with this weapon, he sneak pass the border and disguised as a locals. when the chance came, he shoot the guns and see the result and send it back to motherland.

 

[gf0012-aust]

I agree, its not Iraqi. The only thing I'm willing to say is that the round involved a penetrator rod, even that could land me in the "asylum" for not thinking conventionally...

I also don't think its a russian round.

 

[Awang se]

I agree, its not Iraqi. The only thing I'm willing to say is that the round involved a penetrator rod, even that could land me in the "asylum" for not thinking conventionally...

I also don't think its a russian round.

And why is that? don't assume that when it is not western made, then it's not good enough. Remember they do build several system that prove to be far superior then the western made system. Maybe they finaly acquire the western made rod penetrator and decide to copy it for their own use.

 

[gf0012-aust]

I agree, its not Iraqi. The only thing I'm willing to say is that the round involved a penetrator rod, even that could land me in the "asylum" for not thinking conventionally...

I also don't think its a russian round.

And why is that? don't assume that when it is not western made, then it's not good enough. Remember they do build several system that prove to be far superior then the western made system. Maybe they finaly acquire the western made rod penetrator and decide to copy it for their own use.

I'm not suggesting that, I am trying to fit the known outcome into known variables, and if that is the case then it makes the extrapolation even more complicated as the technology wasn't common knoeledge anyway, and the "designer" nation has never been involved in the arms market per se...

 

[yutong chen]

Maybe some railgun just got invented, and they just tested on a M1.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Maybe some railgun just got invented, and they just tested on a M1.

no, its a penetrator. look at the original post and the side effects.

there are a number of reasons why it can't be a rail gun, or a laser.

 

[elkaboingo]

sorry, but somebody fill me in, what is a rail gun? i've heard of it in games but never in real life.

 

[gf0012-aust]

sorry, but somebody fill me in, what is a rail gun? i've heard of it in games but never in real life.

a rail gun is a gun that launches projectiles using magnetic fields and current instead of consumed fuel. Not only do rail guns not consume any standard fuel, but they accelerate projectiles to a much higher velocity (the figure on the left depicts a rail gun firing a project at extremely high velocity).

The US has rail guns under development, apart from the movies there are no portable or vehicle mounted rail guns in existence.

The mere testing of a rail gun would send of alerts to a raft of interrogation systems - the power consumption is emormous.

There has been a proposal to mount a test bed on a US nuclear ppowered aircraft carrier as that is the only current power source that could provide reasonable rates of fire. another words, it is not at a point of practical deployment

 

[Awang se]

During my University years way back, one of my friend test his ownmade coilgun. guess what happen? the projectile do move forward alright, but only to the muzzle edge before the projectile suddenly reverse it course and came out from the loading hole at very high speed. it penetrate my friend stomach, 2 25cm thick brick walls and came to rest several cm inside the third wall. luckily the penetrator is about 3mm diameter and it miss a vital organs.

 

[gf0012-aust]

there was a test done with a nylon warhead, the warhead went through a dozen thick telephone books (approx 10cm thick each)

the problem with rail guns in the past is that there is heavy wear and tear on the "rails" - which i suppose is akin to a barrel wearing out on a howitzer.

the projected catapults for the future CVN are rumoured to be electro magnetically charged - superficially a similar technological process

 

[Awang se]

Why don't the US use the railgun as a Aircraft launch catapult.

Here's another idea. build a railgun facilities in orbit and use it as a surface bombardment platform. Imagine the devastation below.

 

[Awang se]

Could the railgun be the future satellite delivery means into the orbit? considering the satellite is strong enough to withstand hundreds, maybe a thousands G during launch.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Why don't the US use the railgun as a Aircraft launch catapult.

Here's another idea. build a railgun facilities in orbit and use it as a surface bombardment platform. Imagine the devastation below.

re aircraft launch - thats what is happening with the use and development of the electromagnetic catapult.

re orbital platform - I think that was one of the ideas that was suggested a few years ago when the US put out requests to its allies for new military technologies. It was discussed at one conference I went to in 2000.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Could the railgun be the future satellite delivery means into the orbit? considering the satellite is strong enough to withstand hundreds, maybe a thousands G during launch.

eventually I imagine that it could, at this stage I think the payload issues would restrict its use.

 

[Awang se]

Back to topic

The yellow residue, is that tungsten?

 

[gf0012-aust]

partially