Name: 115 mm APFSDS-T 3UBM-5 round
Availability: InStock

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Weights complete round

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Weights penetrator

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Operating temperature range

Northern Africa

Egypt

<h2>Armament</h2><p>115 mm U-5TS (2A20) tank gun; Royal Ordnance (now RO Defence) 115 mm tank gun.</p><h2>Development</h2><p>The 115 mm U-5TS (2A20) smoothbore tank gun was developed during the latter half of the 1950s and entered service in the early 1960s, mounted on the T-62 tank series. The T-62 therefore became the first in-service main battle tank to feature an APFSDS round, the 3BM-3, in its armoury. The later 3BM-6, often referred to as an HVAPFSDS-T, became the standard APFSDS-T projectile on the 3UBM-5 round for the U-5TS gun tanks. There are now few references to the earlier 3BM-3. The 3BM-3 used a similar projectile assembly to the 3BM-6 but fitted with a tungsten carbide nose slug. Another difference is that the 3BM-3 used a separate loading system with the propellant arranged in the same manner as that used on equivalent rounds for 125 mm tank guns. The interim 3BM-4 was a fixed round. The 115 mm APFSDS-T 3BM-6 is unusual among its kind as it uses a hard steel penetrator. A variant of the 3BM-6 with an armour-piercing cap is known to have existed. Also in existence are two further and presumably more recent 115 mm APFSDS rounds, the 3UBM-9 and the 3UBM-13, the latter having a Depleted Uranium (DU) alloy 3BM-28 penetrator weighing 4.36 kg. The 3UBM-9 round weighs 23.5 kg with the 3BM-21 tungsten-steel alloy projectile weighing 6.26 kg. Complete round length is 990 mm and muzzle velocity is 1,600 m/s. The 3UBM-9 round appears to be the current production version and is manufactured by the Engineering Research Institute based in Moscow. Out of its normal combat load of 40 rounds a T-64 normally carries 14 APFSDS-T rounds.</p><h2>Description</h2><p>The 115 mm 3UBM-5 APFSDS-T round is fixed, with the 3BM-6 sabot and projectile assembly crimped into its brass cartridge case. The sabot assembly is of the ring type and made of steel. It is short and interfaces to the penetrator rod via a series of mating buttresses. There are three 120º sabot segments and the entire sabot is encircled by a slipping copper drive band 4.32 mm wide. The projectile is hard steel and is 548.64 mm long; maximum diameter is 41.91 mm. It is fitted with a pointed light alloy ballistic cap covering the blunt front end of the penetrator while a six-finned assembly, also made of steel and with a maximum diameter over the forward-folding fins of 115.06 mm, is threaded on at the rear. A T-20-1 tracer element is carried in the rear of the fin assembly. A variant with an armour-piercing cap over a more pointed penetrator nose is known to exist; it is 549.66 mm long in total and the projectile with sabot weighs 5.4 kg. The rimmed brass cartridge case has an unusual shape as it is necked approximately halfway along its length. It is filled with 6 kg of 12/7 and 18/1 Tr propellant in stick and granular form. The base is fitted with a KV-5-U electrical primer which has a long flash tube. The 3BM-6 APFSDS-T has a muzzle velocity of 1,680 m/s and its maximum effective range is 3,000 m, although most accounts of effective combat range mention 1,500 m. Maximum possible range is 12,230 m. The projectile can penetrate up to 228 mm of armour set at 0º at 1,000 m or 199 mm of armour set at 60º at the same range.</p><h2>Authorised fuzes</h2><p>None involved Equivalent rounds EGYPT</p><p>EGYPT</p><h2>Manufacturer</h2><p>Heliopolis Company for Chemical Industries</p><p>Type: 115 mm APFSDS</p><p>Description: Muzzle velocity given as 1,610 m/s. In Egypt the U-5TS gun is known as the Y5TC-T62.</p><p>Many Egyptian T-62s now have Royal Ordnance 115 mm barrels</p>

The 115 mm 3UBM-5 APFSDS-T round is fixed, with the 3BM-6 sabot and projectile assembly crimped into its brass cartridge case. The sabot assembly is of the ring type and made of steel. It is short and interfaces to the penetrator rod via a series of mating buttresses. There are three 120º sabot segments and the entire sabot is encircled by a slipping copper drive band 4.32 mm wide. The projectile is hard steel and is 548.64 mm long; maximum diameter is 41.91 mm. It is fitted with a pointed light alloy ballistic cap covering the blunt front end of the penetrator while a six-finned assembly, also made of steel and with a maximum diameter over the forward-folding fins of 115.06 mm, is threaded on at the rear. A T-20-1 tracer element is carried in the rear of the fin assembly.

A variant with an armour-piercing cap over a more pointed penetrator nose is known to exist; it is 549.66 mm long in total and the projectile with sabot weighs 5.4 kg. The rimmed brass cartridge case has an unusual shape as it is necked approximately halfway along its length. It is filled with 6 kg of 12/7 and 18/1 Tr propellant in stick and granular form. The base is fitted with a KV-5-U electrical primer which has a long flash tube. The 3BM-6 APFSDS-T has a muzzle velocity of 1,680 m/s and its maximum effective range is 3,000 m, although most accounts of effective combat range mention 1,500 m. Maximum possible range is 12,230 m. The projectile can penetrate up to 228 mm of armour set at 0º at 1,000 m or 199 mm of armour set at 60º at the same range. The 115 mm U-5TS (2A20) smoothbore tank gun was developed during the latter half of the 1950s and entered service in the early 1960s, mounted on the T-62 tank series. The T-62 therefore became the first in-service main battle tank to feature an APFSDS round, the 3BM-3, in its armoury. The later 3BM-6, often referred to as an HVAPFSDS-T, became the standard APFSDS-T projectile on the 3UBM-5 round for the U-5TS gun tanks. There are now few references to the earlier 3BM-3.

115 mm APFSDS-T 3UBM-5 round

115 mm APFSDS-T 3UBM-5 round

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