USMC OOB ?

[IanWilliams]

In the USMC OOB the HE Kill for the 25mm bushmaster (#74 & 75) is 13 while the HE Kill for the 30mm bushmaster on the EFV is 11. Is this correct?

Ian

[PlasmaKrab]

Look at the encyclopedia (or MOBhack) and some reference sources for both vehicles and I think that you'll get your answer.
For automatic (burst-firing) weapons the HEK is defined at least as much by the number of rounds fired in one burst as by the intrinsic damage dealt by one round.

I've just checked the actual number or rounds carried by both LAV-25 and EFV against the number of shots allowed in the game by the OOB. Data from globalsecurity.org, which is supposed to be a reliable source on US hardware, where objectivity isn't needed *

Considering overall round capacity and shots number, the EFV carries (is meant to carry one day) 600 rounds overall for 90 bursts, while the LAV-25 gets 420 rounds for only 27 shots.
This gives respectively 5 and 15.55 rounds per burst, so even if the 25mm round is lighter you can consider that the burst deals more damage overall than a shorter 30mm burst.

Now that was only cheap calculation, so if you have contradictory data (like any other unit in the USMC OOB which doesn't suit this rule), I'll have to admit I was wrong!
As well, the same calculation with HE rounds only doesn't give as clear results, but I lack accurate data here.

Regards,
Plasma


NOTE: *no judgement intended, but they won't have me believe that they can have open-minded frontline reports from VOA, RFE/RL and the US military news agencies, that's all. No polemics needed either!

[IanWilliams]

Ok, so it's a function of cannon size AND rounds per burst. I thought it was something like that but wanted to double check.

It does seem foolish to switch from 25mm to 30mm in the EFV if for no other reason than you now have a separate "one off" ammo supply for this once vehicle rather than having commonality with the cannons in the LAV-25 and Bradley. Or is there a move afoot to up-gun those platforms and make 30mm the new standard?

Taking a big picture perspective it seem odd that most calibers are standardized for NATO (105 & 120 for tank guns, 5.56, 7.62 12.7 for small arms, etc.) but it seems to be a everyone does their own thing for small cannons.

Ian

[PlasmaKrab]

It does seem foolish to switch from 25mm to 30mm in the EFV if for no other reason than you now have a separate "one off" ammo supply for this once vehicle rather than having commonality with the cannons in the LAV-25 and Bradley. Or is there a move afoot to up-gun those platforms and make 30mm the new standard?

Could be, could be, I know that I didn't see a single Piranha III (aka LAV-III, Stryker, Coyote) in recon/IFV version with a 25mm A/C. All seem to use the 30mm Bushmaster II cannon, as many CV90 variants do (Norway, Finland, Switzerland, maybe Greece), so that would be the closest you'd get from a future standard.
I also heard many people ranting about the feeble 25mm "pea-shooter", but those were also the people ranting against the Stryker, calling for the Buford and naming the M-113 Gavin, so I don't know how general the feeling is.

Taking a big picture perspective it seem odd that most calibers are standardized for NATO (105 & 120 for tank guns, 5.56, 7.62 12.7 for small arms, etc.) but it seems to be a everyone does their own thing for small cannons.

Mind you, NATO calibers aren't that standard either, the more sophisticated (tank rounds) or straightforward (artillery shells, rifle ammmo) only have some chance to make it, the middle class of small cannon bullets are just right to be produced/bought differently by just everyone wanting to take an edge.
Actually the end of the Cold War kinda put a stop to it, otherwise maybe the dual 35mm/50mm gun would have become some sort of standard.