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Projectile, 155 mm: Smoke, WP, M825A1
Region
United States
Category
Ammunition, Missiles and precision weapons
The Projectile, 155 mm: Smoke, WP, M825A1 is the 155 mm Smoke WP M825A1 is a separate loading, base ejection, smoke-producing projectile which uses a body virtually identical to the 155 mm DPICM M483A1. The projectile uses a 155 mm DPICM M483A1 aluminium ogive section and expulsion charge, a forged steel modified M483A1 body and a threaded steel ring and aluminium body base. Inside the body is a hermetically sealed canister containing 116 White Phosphorus (WP) saturated felt wedges each 190 mm thick and separated
into four quadrants of 29 each. A 63.5 mm diameter burster charge containing approximately 45 g of Composition B runs the entire length of the canister's centre cavity. In operation, the nose-mounted time fuze is set to function at a selected point during the projectile's trajectory. When the fuze functions it ignites a 51 g expulsion charge of M10 propellant which creates sufficient internal pressure within the ogive to push off the body base and eject the canister. The expulsion charge also ignites a 100 ms pyrotechnic delay, enabling the canister to be fully ejected from the carrier body before the burster charge (21.2 g of Composition A5) ignites to break open the canister and release the WP-saturated felt wedges (total weight of WP in the wedges is 5.78 kg). The Propelling Charge M119 is a single white bag charge in a laced jacket fired as Charge 8. It has an igniter bag sewn on to the base and a flash reducer pad is located on the front of the bag; the forward end also contains lead foil as a decoppering agent. The M119 contains approximately 8.62 kg of cool-burning M6 propellant with a central igniter consisting of a moulded nitrocellulose tube containing benite strands. The Propelling Charge M119A1 has some design improvements over the M119 including a modified ring-shaped flash reducer. The Propelling Charge M119A2 uses a red charge bag and does not have a laced jacket. It is provided with an igniter protector cap and tie strap which must be removed before firing; the circular red cloth igniter pad weighs 113 g. The M119A2 zone 7 is equivalent to the M119/M119A1 zone 8 charge. There are four 113 g potassium sulphate flash reducer increments located in side pockets. The M119A2 is 660 mm long. The M119A2 charge is produced by Eurometaal NV as the No 13.