SMArt 155 is an intelligent, effective and robust fire-and-forget artillery shell. It consists of a thin-walled carrier shell with an expulsion unit and two submunitions. Each submunition contains an orientation and stabilisation unit with ballute, despin flaps and autorotating parachute; multi-mode sensor-fuze system with MMW radar, MMW radiometer, IR sensor, signal-processing unit and power supply; and an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warhead with heavy-metal liner.
SMArt is fired using the same guns, firing-tables and procedures as in-service improved conventional munition (ICM). After ejection from the shell, the multi-mode sensor system scans the target area in a spiral pattern. The sensor system is designed to cope with outer-measures and camouflage of targets, ensuring unabated detection performance against combat vehicles.
Immediately after target detection the EFP warhead is fired, forming a fin-stabilised kinetic energy penetrator that travels to the target at multi-sonic speed and penetrates the target from the top. Because of its superior penetration performance, SMArt 155's primary targets are main battle tanks but armoured fighting vehicles such as self-propelled howitzers, rocket launchers, armoured personnel carriers and air-defence units also are detected and defeated. The SMArt 155 EFP warhead uses a single-fragment, heavy-metal penetrator with unmatched penetration performance and behind-armour effectiveness. For special requirements a multi-fragment war-head is available.
Recent test firings of SMArt 155 resulted in the hit and probable kill of 15 tank targets. This demonstrated the effectiveness of SMArt compared to in-service improved conventional artillery munition. Tests were conducted in winter and spring 1996 at Meppen Proving Ground and covered the full range of artillery firing conditions. Prior to firing SMArt 155, rounds were exposed to ITOP sequential environment test procedures in the full temperature range.
A battery of M109 Howitzers firing SMArt 155 will defeat a reinforced tank company of heavily armoured main battle tanks in less than 15 seconds with only one volley from each gun. A battery of PzH 2000 will do the same in less than 10 seconds at extended ranges with little more than one minute operating in the firing position. To achieve a comparable level of defeat using improved conventional munition, two batteries of M109 Howitzers need to fire at a sustained rate for 15 minutes or, if only one battery is available, for over half an hour.
SMArt 155 is ready for production in Germany and allied forces and their respective industries are invited to share in a co-operative joint effort to achieve the economical advantages and share the benefits of this new product for artillery operations.
