Veteran Artillery Systems | Longevity Weapons and Technology
foreign has gradually evolved into equipment with different characteristics and purposes extensively equipping the land to see and Air Forces of countries so how did artillery progress from a single function mortar to a universally used weapon across the three branches of the military in Modern Warfare with the emergence of various types of missiles how does artillery and ancient weapon employ new technologies to unleash greater power in this episode of military technology we will delve into the ancient yet modern world of artillery foreign [Music] foreign [Music] hello everyone and welcome to military technology I'm your host since its Inception artillery has played a crucial role in Warfare with the advancement of technology and The Changing Times artillery which has undergone numerous upgrades still plays an important role on the modern Battlefield due to its strong combat capabilities excellent mobility and cost effectiveness even in ancient times during the sun Dynasty the Firestone Cannon emerged which utilized gunpowder to launch flames and stones to inflict damage the technology of artillery quickly spread to the west through the Silk Road with the advancement of technology and The Changing Times artillery has undergone several upgrades transforming from a single weapon used for sieges and territorial conquests into a new artillery system that integrates reconnaissance demand and communication methods as the Industrial Revolution began in the 18th century artillery underwent a new transformation in terms of propellant methods the use of sugar in projectiles transitioned to breach loading and revolutionary changes in transportation allowed artillery to enter a phase of comprehensive development the canon in fact was the initial form of artillery providing sustained Firepower and high lethality it has played an Irreplaceable role throughout history in Warfare let's move on to our interactive segment we have received many questions from online users let's take a look one user asks in the past there were cannons with calibers of several hundred millimeters but why don't we see them anymore that's a great question let's continue to explore another user raises a question why are artillery calibers generally between 152 millimeters and 155 millimeters nowadays we can see that the questions raised by our audience are mostly focused on artillery calibers so let's continue to address this inquiry during the two World Wars various types of artillery emerged rapidly among them were super heavy cannons like the Gustav but the common problem with these Mammoth weapons was their excessive side making them extremely difficult to use when evaluating the performance of a weapon it is important to consider not only its combat Effectiveness but also whether it achieves the intended results throughout the development of the artillery family General artillery calibers do not exceed 203 millimeters typically when we talk about large caliber cannons the upper limit is around 203 millimeters which is referred to as the Western 8-inch caliber it becomes challenging to maintain the mobility of artillery once it reaches such a size one well-known example is the Dora which was produced during World War II it had a caliber of 800 millimeters making it the true upper limit of ground artillery in human history with a combat weight of approximately 1 350 tons operating this artillery required a crew of 250 Personnel to handle the firing of its seven ton projectiles its range though was only a few tens of kilometers although the Dora artillery required a crew of 250 additional Personnel were necessary for constructing and maintaining dedicated secondary Rail lines for adjusting its direction approximately 2 500 people were involved in building and maintaining these railroads due to its enormous size the Dora had very little concealment on the Battlefield it was essentially a massive Target lacking any meaningful camouflage today most major armies around the world employ 152 millimeter and 155 millimeter calibers as their primary calibers for toad howitzers truck mounted artillery and self-propelled guys the choice of these calibers is driven by the desire for high volume and efficiency of fire from conventional artillery when using a 155 millimeter caliber the barrel can be controlled within a Three Degree elevation range the overall weight of the artillery is around a dozen tons and for truck mounted artillery it can be below 25 tons making it compatible with the carrying capacity of most medium trucks and suitable for off-road travel on most roads and relatively hard terrain another consideration is the weight of the ammunition a typical 155 millimeter caliber artillery shell weighs around 50 kilograms which is already close to the Limit that can be manually handled by a single person if a larger 203 millimeter caliber artillery is used the weight of a single shell can reach 100 kilograms posing a significant challenge in summary the issue lies in finding a balance if the caliber is too small the Firepower is insufficient if the caliber is too large it becomes difficult to handle therefore the 152 millimeter and 155 millimeter calibers have become the commonly used artillery calibers worldwide the development of artillery has been driven by a simple reason which is the cost Factor on the battlefield one crucial consideration is the cost to Effectiveness ratio you need to set a cost Target and then choose the appropriate weapon for the attack missiles and Rockets may have long ranges and high accuracy but their cost is also high for example in a conventional direct line of sight fire scenario a single missile May cost over fifty thousand dollars to approximately the cost in 2009 and a launcher system May exceed two hundred thousand dollars furthermore the range is generally within five kilometers on the other hand if you use a 120 millimeter mortar shell the cost typically does not exceed two thousand dollars this lower cost allows for the launch of a higher quantity of shells during combat however with missile weapons even if the accuracy is high the cost Factor becomes a significant limitation the cost of the launcher and the ambient mission is high making it challenging to meet the quantity requirements in combat situations although missile technology has long been present on the battlefield armies around the world still maintain a significant number of various types of artillery by employing strategic and tactical approaches alongside the complementary use of artillery and missiles armies can greatly enhance their operational effectiveness and striking capabilities therefore in recent years despite intensifying efforts in missile technology development countries armies are not quick to abandon artillery equipment as artillery remains an indispensable weapon of world artillery though a traditional land-based weapon was already being used on ships during the era of great geographical discoveries with the application of rifling revolving gun carriages as well as the emergence of ammunition Supply mechanisms and protected gun turrets the development of Naval artillery made a qualitative leap gradually forming an independent Branch known as Naval guns in 1906 the United Kingdom constructed the world's first steel Battleship HMS Dreadnought which was equipped with two twin-mounted 300 43 millimeter main guns since then Naval guns truly became an independent artillery system Standing Tall on Naval vessels during World War II the number of battleships became a measure of its Naval Combat time the size of the main gun caliber had become a significant indicator of a country's Naval Firepower with Naval gun calibers surpassing 350 millimeters now when it comes to Naval guns what factors need to be considered one aspect is the length of the barrel the weight and the caliber Naval guns relatively speaking have advantages in these aspects because they operate on the sea however the accuracy of Naval guns is relatively lower compared to land-based artillery due to the complex three-dimensional fluctuations caused by the waves and seawater the Precision of Naval guns is relatively lower so Naval guns are generally fired in Salvo in the era of sailing ships there was a concept of firing broadside salvos or dozens or at least several guns would fire simultaneously achieving a relatively High coverage accuracy thus Naval guns are primarily used for area denial against large battleships for example the USS Iowa which was still in service during the Gulf War in 1991 was equipped with 406 millimeter triple mounted guns so how big is this gun the overall length of the barrel is nearly 20 meters and its weight reaches a staggering 1 700 tons equivalent to the weight of some destroyers at the time the caliber of the Gun Barrel ultimately reaches the terrifying number of 406 millimeters the weight of a single shell fired by this gun is nearly 1.3 times and one shot can create a crater the size of half a football team it would not be a problem for a sailboat to level a small hill the Iowa class battleships which began Development and Construction in 1938 may not match the Japanese Yamato and Musashi battleships in terms of caliber as those ships had 460 millimeter guns however they're exceptionally high speed and massive Hall make up for this aspect on September 2nd 1945 the Japanese signed the instrument of surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri battleship in Tokyo bay bringing worldwide Fame to the Iowa class ships during the Gulf War in 1991 the United States dispatched the battleships USS Wisconsin and USS Missouri to the Persian Gulf region to provide continuous and Relentless Firepower support to the ground forces combating Iraqi positions on the beach this marked the final grand performance of battleships as the USS Missouri was officially decommissioned in March 1992 signaling the end of an era dominated by Naval guns as the primary means of Firepower while battleships played a significant role in Warfare advancements in weaponry and The Changing Times have shifted the balance of power in the maritime domain towards missiles and carrier-based aircraft these modern weapons have become crucial in shaping the maritime landscape however Naval guns despite being ancient weapons have still been retained by 80s worldwide one of the main criticisms of Naval guns and compared to missiles is their relatively limited range however this issue has been partially addressed through the use of guided projectiles launched from guns for example the Italian Oro malara 127 millimeters Naval gun employs a system called Volcano which refers to guided projectiles the range of these projectiles has gradually extended to 120 kilometers with such extended range Naval guns can achieve Precision strikes Beyond 120 kilometers which is comparable to the range of many anti-ship missiles moreover considering the cost per shot in the number of rounds that can be fired per minute Naval guns still hold a significant Advantage looking toward the future if the range of Naval guns can be further extended and their accuracy ensured through precise guidance systems they will continue to excel in Firepower delivery particularly in missions involving ground attacks and support operations Naval guns will maintain their advantage in terms of cost Effectiveness and high rate of fire the end of World War II marked the conclusion of the era of battleships and their massive guns Naval forces worldwide have continuously reduced the caliber of their Naval guns gradually decreasing from 200 millimeters to around 100 millimeters these new generation Naval guns sacrifice caliber but greatly improved their firing rate and range the Iowa class battleships serve as an example with their 406 millimeters guns delivering undeniable power however their firing rate of only two rounds per minute reveals the limitation in sustained Firepower in contrast modern Naval guns have a firing rate dozens of Times Higher ranging from 60 to 70 rounds per minute compensating for the reduced caliber regarding the comparison between Naval guns and missiles the main consideration is although modern Naval guns have a similar caliber to missiles they have the advantage of higher firing rates and powered due to smaller platform restrictions they can incorporate features such as automatic loading systems and water cooled long caliber barrels consequently their firing rate and Firepower far surpass those of missiles the comparisons between Naval guns and missiles depends on the mission at hand one direct comparison occurs in coastal defense many Coastal artillery guns during World War II were essentially Naval guns mounted on land often surrounded by reinforced concrete structures which sometimes provided even stronger defense capabilities than Naval guns in summary the debate between Naval guns and missiles hinges on various factors including range Precision rate of fire and Mission requirements Naval guns still retain their traditional advantages and their effectiveness can be enhanced through advancements in range and precision while missiles dominate the modern Maritime landscape Naval guns continue to play a significant role particularly in terms of cost Effectiveness and sustained Firepower if I were to give up maneuverability which is typically associated with artillery on fortresses we would be sacrificing our maneuverability however even without maneuverability we can still have substantial Firepower but if we focus solely on Firepower and lose maneuverability we become an easy target for the enemy therefore when it comes to Coastal Defense Artillery many requirements call for self-propelled guns to possess maneuverability if you want to maintain maneuverability while having a large caliber and long-range capability you might have to compromise and potentially lose out to Naval guns ultimately it's about finding a balance among Firepower protection and maneuverability the fundamental reason for the discrepancy lies in the fact that enable guns and land artillery have diverged in their development directions and no longer consider each other as adversaries typically a naval vessel only has one main gun to maximize its Firepower so it's crucial to enhance the efficiency of Firepower delivery although their usage scenarios differ both artillery and Naval guns share similar principles and operations they are based on providing sustained Firepower outputs using large caliber projectiles however there are slight differences in the caliber and working mechanisms of artillery which function more like Firearms equipped with complete ammunition feed systems this is where the concept of Naval guns diverges and introduces the concept of Naval artillery now let's address some of the questions and concerns raised about Naval artillery one question is whether Naval artillery still has a role to play in modern air combat considering that Beyond visual range attacks have become the primary style of modern area Warfare another query is about the different methods employed by Naval artillery these concerns demonstrate the audience's worry about the survival and effectiveness of Naval artillery in modern air combat Naval Aviation artillery as one of the oldest Airborne weapons has been intertwined with the history of aerial Warfare it began with Pilots shooting at each other with pistols during World War One and aerial machine guns soon became the primary weapon in aerial combat the aerial gun Duels of World War II reached their Peace during this period with major combat aircrafts equipped with varying numbers of aerial guns until the end of World War II aerial machine guns and cannons Remain the only effective weapons in aerial combat with the development of guided weapons Naval artillery was temporarily overshadowed leading many countries to remove Naval guns from their aircraft in transition to missile equipped Fighters however the lessons learned from the Vietnam War showed that canceling Naval artillery was a mistake close range combat still plays a significant role in modern aerial dogfighters reaffirming the importance of Naval Aviation artillery as a weapon from close range air combat the development of missiles gained momentum after World War II and entered a relatively vigorous stage the debate about the superiority or inferiority of Naval artillery compared to missiles or whether one can replace the other intensified during the Vietnam war the U.S military for instance temporarily removed Naval guns from some of their aircraft because the missile performance did not fully meet their requirements eventually Naval guns were reintroduced to some aircraft please note that the translation provided above is a faithful interpretation of the Chinese text into coherent content of American Business English it maintains accuracy in Technical and scientific details correct grammar and spelling and uses appropriate terminologies but the advancement of Science and Technology Naval artillery commonly employs rotating Barrel cannons similar to Gatling machine guns and twin barrel cannons the key feature of a rotating Barrel Cannon is that multiple barrels are fixed together by a clamping plate who when fired the barrels rotate under external power completing actions such as loading chambering firing and ejecting shells with each Revolution the firing of a subsequent round is independent of the previous round even in the event of a misfire it does not affect the overall operation of the system the rate of fire typically reaches thousands of rounds per minute but the drawbacks are evident these cannons often occupy a significant amount of space on an aircraft and the rotation of multiple barrels during firing introduces centrifugal forces which can greatly reduce shooting accuracy although twin barrel Naval cannons who have smaller Dimensions they provide relatively stable trajectories however they have their own issues when the aircraft dies the alternate ignition of the left and right barrels can cause a certain amount of lateral twisting recoil creating significant pressure on the gun mounting surface to address these problems modern aircraft commonly employ revolver cannons now what is a revolver this concept has existed for some time for example in revolvers like a six-shot handgun essentially it is a rotating chamber that through the process of rotation allows for a relatively High rate of fire moreover during this process the inherent inertia has a relatively small impact especially on the platform this becomes particularly apparent in aircraft since various aspects of fighter jets need to consider lightweight designs however lightweight designs naturally have lower strength and they are more susceptible to the effects of inertia therefore in recent years more and more aircraft cannons have adopted revolver designs in the end each type of Naval artillery has its advantages and disadvantages and there is no absolute notion of good or bad only a matter of suitability as we entered the 21st century traditional artillery had already evolved into a universally employed weapon across all branches of the military with the emergence of various new Concepts these weapons driven by traditional gunpowder propulsions are quietly undergoing changes in recent years a series of new Concepts such as liquid and gas cannons electromagnetic cannons and Laser cannons have been proposed and countries around the world are continuously exploring in this field as early as the mid-1960s the United States Air Force transformed large aircraft into Airborne laser weapon Laboratories to test the feasibility of using laser weapons on aircraft and destroying targets with laser cannons our new energy artillery includes chemically powered cannons such as the electrothermal chemical Cannon as well as electromagnetic cannons these are all Innovative Concepts in artillery however regardless of the firing principles Behind These cannons their ultimate goal Remains the Same to achieve precise and effective destruction at a relatively low or controllable cost therefore it doesn't matter what changes or developments occur in the future whether it's in terms of coil configurations or even the absence of visible done barrels as long as the cannon fulfills its Mission it will suffice Advanced New Concept artillery possesses advantages that traditional canons lack these include low firing costs High projectile initial velocity significant kinetic energy and Superior accuracy these characteristics will ultimately bring about a transformation in traditional artillery as scientific and technological advancements continue the futuristic Canon's reminiscent of those seen in science fiction movies will eventually become a reality as the backbone of warfare throughout history artillery has always been an indispensable component on the battlefield today artillery has undergone numerous updates and iterations assuming a unique tactical role and strategic position in Modern Warfare the ongoing technological advancements artillery a stalwart witness to thousands of years of human Warfare you should continue to evolve and adapt to new forms of Warfare on future battlefields playing a crucial role thank you dear viewers for your continued support of the defense and Military technology Channel we will see you at the same time next week these designs once competed alongside the currently active Main Equipment but were ultimately discontinued for various reasons they were once considered the most radical design proposals characterized by their unconventional appearance that defied imagination however they have never been forgotten and remain Eternal Classics in the hearts of countless military enthusiasts military technology will now analyze those famous equipment that had a brief appearance in the history of weapon development [Music] thank you thank you
2023-08-26 17:54
