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Alenia Difesa 76 mm High-Explosive PreFormed
Region
South Africa
Brazil
Italy
Spain
Category
Ammunition, Missiles and precision weapons
The 76 mm HE-PF-OM is similar in concept to the MOM (see previous entry) and has the same external shape and fuze well in the explosive filling as the standard 76 mm HE-OM (see separate entry). It is, therefore, a fixed round with the projectile rigidly secured to the brass cartridge case by a crimping ring, which engages in a groove on the wide copper/gilding metal drive band. The projectile body is made from high-quality steel. Tungsten alloy cubes acting as preformed fragments are located around the projectile
body and held in position by steel liners. The weight of the tungsten alloy cubes alone is 1.47 kg and although the cubes are smaller than those used on the MOM round their number is greater. The projectile interior is compression loaded with 731 g of Composition A-3 (91 per cent RDX, 9 per cent wax). When the fuze functions the resultant explosion propels the high specific weight tungsten alloy cubes at high velocity, together with the fragments produced by the shell body. The preformed fragments can penetrate 14 mm of dural plate. One possible fuze that could be employed (among many) is the French TDA UA 3018 multimode proximity. The brass cartridge case (72 per cent copper, 28 per cent zinc) has a base-mounted P85 percussion primer and is filled with 2.3 kg of M6 + 2 single-base multiperforated (19-hole) propellant. A mixture of wax and titanium in a fabric liner is glued inside the cartridge case to act as an anti-wear additive. The primer is normally protected by a clip which is removed before loading. To reduce training costs, the South African company NASCHEM has produced a point-detonating fuze, the PD M9030, to be fitted to 76/62 projectiles in place of proximity fuzes during training. The 76 mm HE-PF-OM (High-Explosive - PreFormed OTO Munition), also known at one time as the PreFormed Fragmentation (PFF) OTO Mod.84, is one of a family of improved 76/62 rounds developed by Alenia Difesa, Otobreda Division, (formerly OTO Melara). The intention was to enhance the performance of the 76/62 naval guns against sea-skimming missiles and similar targets, and the 76 mm self-propelled AMRAD OTOMATIC air defence tank. It is mechanically interchangeable with all other types of 76/62 ammunition. There are two versions of this round produced.