Is a Liquid Propellant Gun a Viable Option for the Future Main Battle Tank in the United States Army?

Abstract

This study is an examination of three areas: historical U.S. liquid propellant development, liquid propellant logistical considerations and the technical considerations in the application of a liquid propellant gun in a combat vehicle. The study examines the potential and demonstrated benefits of liquid propellants for the military. The study uses the solid propellant guns technology as the baseline to conduct a comparison of liquid propellant guns in the same operational requirements. The analysis by the author on the logistical impacts focuses on the industrial base conversion, production costs of propellants, ammunition transportation requirements, and liquid propellant demilitarization. The analysis continues with a discussion on combat vehicle survivability, firepower, and mobility. This study concludes that a liquid propellant gun is a viable option for the Army to pursue.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 05, 1992
Accession Number
ADA258887

Entities

People

  • Curtis L. Mccoy

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Ammunition
  • Armored Vehicles
  • Artillery
  • Combat Vehicles
  • Combustion
  • Fire Control Systems
  • Firing Rate
  • Gun Propellants
  • Liquid Gun Propellants
  • Liquid Propellants
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Testing
  • Munitions
  • Production
  • Propellants
  • Solid Propellants
  • United States

Readers

  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Military Science
  • Rocket Propulsion.