What is the purpose of the M2 Bradley replacement being armed with a 50mm chaingun, over a 25mm chaingun of its predecessor? If mobile protected firepower is armed with a 105mm cannon for fire support, what sort of targets is the US military expecting dismounted troops to encounter that requires a doubling in caliber size, without necessarily calling in an MPF? Is the added complexity and weight of supplying such a massive chaingun worth it?
It’s a supershot, essentially a 35mm without being necked down. It means bigger payload for air burst.
forgive my moronation but is airburst chainguns used mostly against infrantry in the case of an ifv?
It's a because-its-there weapon. In the ancient days of the early cold war it was intended as an anti-BMP meta but today it's more about being the biggest firepower you can fit on a frontline vehicle without converting it from a troop taxi to a tank.
>meta
have a nice day
This clip pretty much showcase what airburst and regular HE chaingun rounds are intended for
Frick
It's used to hit infantry behind barriers your own side's infantry small arms can't defeat. Bursting over trenches or behind walls that 7.62mm can't penetrate, etc.
more dakka
50 is twice as much as 25, that's why.
Fricking A right
airburst.
1 shot does the job of a billion 25mm.
The round is bigger giving it more options for round customization. It also gives a further range to destroy drones/helicopters/whatever.
because a necked up 35mm round has a ton of possibilities including airburst rounds and similar programmed functions, while still being very respectable with regards to penetration. The French 40mm CTA claims ~175mm of penetration at the muzzle, if you can get close you have a lot of future proofing if your enemy decides to put more armor on his IFVs
Smart ammo is more effective with larger calibers.
30mm is the meta caliber for dumb shells. But with programmable fuses in everything scaling up for juicier airbursts vs infantry in cover or evading quadcopters is a thing. The 50mm is simply a necked out 35mm design which already exists.
this. also the thinking is that programmable airburst with a larger payload will make up for the reduced ammo capacity vs smaller dumb rounds
It seems to me it would cause shell shock problems for friendly soldiers working near the vehicle.
Great how many stamps?