125MM HEAT-FS ROUNDS

Common properties:
Projectile mass 19,000g
Projectile length 680mm
Charge mass 1,624..1,850g
Muzzle velocity 905m/s
Max.dispersion 0.21mil
EFC rating 1
Chamber pressure 300MPa
Extended fins span 343mm
Rear tracer; point-initiating, base-detonating (PIBD) fuse

HEAT-FS rounds:

3P-11 practice HEAT round

• • 3VP-5 (3P-11 projectile)
(DOI unknown)
Practice HEAT round (same
mass and behaviour as HEAT-
FS, but inert)

•
• 3VBK-7 (3BK-12 projectile)
(DOI 1962)
420mm RHA at 0°; Steel liner;
A-IX-1 charge (flegmatized
RDX); I-238 detonator
3BK-12M modernization utilizes
3BK-18M round improved 3V-15 detonator (DOI
1968)
• 3VBK-10 (3BK-14 projectile) (DOI 1968)
450mm RHA at 0°; Steel liner; octol charge (flegmatized 75%
HMX/25% TNT); 3V-15 detonator
• 3VBK-16 (3BK-18 projectile) (DOI est.1975)
500mm RHA at 0°; Copper liner; octol charge; 3V-15 detonator
3BK-18M modernization introduces wave-shaper boosting
penetration by 10% (DOI est.1978)
550mm RHA at 0°; Copper liner; octol charge; 3V-15 detonator
• 3VBK-17 (3BK-21 projectile) (DOI est.1980)
Complex of measures to improve jet formation reliability
550mm RHA at 0°; Copper liner; octol charge; 3V-15 detonator
3BK-21B model (DOI est.1982)
 520mm RHA at 0°; DU liner for improved performance on advanced
armors and enhanced behind-armor effects.
• 3VBK-21 (3BK-25 projectile) (est.DOI 1985)
Unknown performance and round configuration

•
• 3VBK-25 (3BK-29 projectile) (est.DOI 1988)
New explosive pressing
technology improves jet
precision
Weight reduced to 18,400g;
MV boosted to 915m/s 3BK-29M round
Est.650mm RHA at 0°; Unknown liner; tandem charge
3BK-29M presented by NIMI in 1998;
unknown improvements over 3BK-29

• 3VBK-25I (3BK-29I projectile) (est.DOI

1988)
Practice HEAT round that matches 3BK-29's
flatter trajectory
•
• 3VBK-27? (3BK-31? projectile) (in
development?)
800mm RHA at 0°
680mm RHA at 0° behind external ERA
660mm RHA at 0° behind integral ERA
Unknown liner; triple charge
• An experimental HEAT round (according to some
sources, designated 3BK-31), was first displayed on
3BK-31? round
VTTV-97 exhibition in Omsk. Its cutaway shows a
very complex and ingenious design, including shaped-charge precursor, the
channel through the middle charge to allow passage of the rear jet and so on. The
round is credited with 800mm RHA penetration which was illustrated by a picture
of a 800mm penetration route. The picture shows that designers probably
deliberately misaligned the charges so that the middle jet doesn't need to
penetrate the core of the rear one. If the color of the liner is the same as that on
the real round, it indicates that it is not copper, and therefore may have improved
performance against ceramic armors.
• 3BK-31? is designed to defeat vehicles with external ERA, integral ERA and/or
composite armor main structure; the precursor charge trips ERA, the first main
charge conditions advanced armor array and initiates penetration, and the last
achieves destructive penetration. The sequence of charges detonation is precursor
-> rear charge -> middle charge.
800mm pen. route by a demonstrated round