In-bore Detonation of Non-standard Ammunition, Testing a Russian T-55 Tank

摘要

On 21 May 2009 the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) was performing an accuracy and fire control test on a Russian T-55 tank at the H- Field Firing Range, Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). The three man crew, commander (also loading), gunner and driver were firing Russian designed 100-mm UBK-4M cartridge with the BK5M High Explosive Anti Tank (HEAT) warhead. Upon firing the second round of the day, a catastrophic incident occurred. The warhead exploded in the tank cannon rupturing the tube, killing the commander, fatally injuring the gunner and seriously injuring the driver. The U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center (CRC) team arrived on 23 May and initiated their investigation. The authors need to acknowledge the efforts of the CRC team in their thorough and professional investigation. Much of the factual information presented herein was obtained through the combined efforts of the CRC team and individuals in the unit. This paper provides general details surrounding the incident and address contributing factors. The conclusions and recommendations presented herein are those of the authors and not the findings, conclusions or recommendations of the Central Accident Investigation Board. Throughout the paper unless specifically designated otherwise the term 'unit' refers to that team within ATC that was responsible for executing the test and reporting the results. The unit is comprised of engineers and technicians with personnel ranging from less than 1 to 20 plus years of experience in the test, operation and maintenance of Russian designed equipment. The authors of this paper are members of the unit.