(Bertil Jonell) wrote in message ...
In article ,
Paul J. Adam wrote:
UAVs are going to be really tough gun targets: just look at the size of
them. Aircraft guns aren't a good option, if only because you're going
to need so many rounds per target.

Against so small targets a proximity fuzed shell, or a timed-fuzed
cannister round would be much more effective. The size means that you
don't need direct impacts of 20mm+ to bring it down, and the increased
probability of getting a hit with preformed fragments/subprojectiles
might[1] compensate for the small size.

[1] Well, I think so at least But you'd need to run tests on it to
be sure

Airburst ammo has been available for a long time for Russian 30mm
aircraft guns: it is effectively shrapnel, releasing a cone of
tungsten-alloy subprojectiles once the time fuze detonates, and is
intended for ground attack so the time fuze has a fixed setting. OTOH,
current US airburst experiments in 30x173 involve setting a fuze at
the muzzle, like the Oerlikon AHEAD 35mm round. There would be
technical problems in adapting this to firing from a moving aircraft
at another moving target, but it's basically a matter of FCS
programming. This could be deadly against UAVs (and troops on the
ground, as well).

Tony Williams
Military gun and ammunition website: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk
Discussion forum at: http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/