Damaging Effects of Weapons and Ammunition. Igor A. Balagansky

cannot be extended to the case of several shots at the same area target.

      I.3.7.2 Determining the Average Damage Fraction at Multiple Shots

      There are methods to estimate the effectiveness of damaging area targets, suitable for both single and multiple shots. We won't be considering them here.

      Let us consider here only an approximate method for determining the average fraction of the area damaged by several independent shots if the damage fraction by one shot is known. With an increasing number of shots n, the average fraction of the damaged area M_d grows not in proportion to the number of shots n, but more slowly. There are two reasons for this:

       with several shots fired, individual projectile areas may overlap;

       the average Mn fraction of damaging cannot exceed one at any number of shots and at unlimited increasing n can only approach to one asymptotically.

      The exact relationship between M_n and the number of shots n is quite complex. However, numerous calculations have shown that for practical needs, it can in most cases be replaced by function like

(I.36)

      where M is the average damaged fraction of a single shot.

Formula (I.36) is not accurate enough if the target size is large compared to the dispersion area of the projectiles.

I.4 Self‐assessment Questions

      1 What is the difference between the terms “effectiveness of the damaging effect” and “battle effectiveness”?

      2 List the main types of ammunition and their damaging effects.

      3 Describe the main types of degrees of damage.

      4 Name and describe the generalized characteristics of damaging effects for contact ammunition.

      5 What is the accumulation of damage?

      6 Name and describe the generalized characteristics of the damaging effects of remote munitions.

      7 How do the specified target sizes differ from their actual sizes for contact and remote ammunition?

      8 List the kinds of targets and typical efficiency indicators of their damage.

      9 List the main reasons for the dispersion of the ammunition when firing.

      10 What is a picture plane and how is it built?

      11 What's the dispersion law of ammunition when firing?

      12 What are the similarities and the differences between systematic and group shooting errors?

      13 What kind of shots are defined as dependent and why?

      14 Why are probable deviations rather than standard deviations used in efficiency calculations?

      15 How are generalized damage characteristics used in calculations of battle effectiveness?

References

      1 1 Balagansky, I.A. and Merzhievsky, L.A. (2004). Effects of Means of Destruction and Ammunition. Novosibirsk: Novosibirsk State Technical University [in Russian].

      2 2 Wentzel, E.S. (1964). Introduction to Operations Research. Moscow: Soviet Radio [in Russian].

      3 3 Fendrikov, N.M. and Yakovlev, V.I. (1971). Methods of Calculation of Combat Efficiency of Armament. Moscow: Voyenizdat [in Russian].

      4 4 Wentzel, E.C. (1969). Probability Theory. Moscow: Nauka [in Russian].