ATTACKING A TANK : THE BATTLE AGAINST IRAQI ARMOR

Iraqi tanks on the battlefield will face a wide range of deadly high-technology weapons developed especially to destroy armor. The weapons, some of which were used in the fighting last week, include armor-piercing shells fired by allied tanks, anti-tank guided missiles launched from helicopters, jets and infantry vehicles. Here is how it might look on the receiving end: A-10 Thunderbolt II: Close-support “Warthog” jet streaks in at less than 100 feet above the battlefield, then pops up for a good shot. Maverick missile: Precision guided tactical missile homes in on tanks at supersonic speed using infrared, TV or laser guidance. M-1A1 Abrams main battle tank: Most modern version of America’s best tank has improved crew protection, better suspension, and a 120mm gun. T-72 heavy tank: Iraq’s best tank is big, fairly fast, Soviet-built, armed with a powerful 125mm main gun, and in some cases protected by HEAT-resisting Chrobham-type ceramic-and-metal armor plating. HEAT shell: High-explosive, anti-tank rounds are one of four different shells carried by M-1A1s (see inset). Only the newest Iraqi tanks have any chance of withstanding a hit. AH-64 Apache: Heavily armed attack helicopter can maneuver nimbly on the battlefield, firing on tanks from many angles. Hellfire missile: Precision guided “fire and forget” missile can lock on to its target after firing, while the helicopter evades enemy fire. Dug-in tanks: In defensive fortifications, Iraq digs in tanks, half-burying them in the sand. Dug-in tanks cannot maneuver, but they are much harder to hit. TOW missile: Proven in Vietnam and the 1973 Middle East War, these missiles are guided to their targets by a wire tether that streams out the back of the missile as it flies. Bradley: The infantry fighting vehicle is a cross between a light tank and armored personnel carrier. It carries TOW missiles and a 25mm cannon.

TANK--PIERCING HEAT SHELL

A shaped charge detonates on impact, liquefying metal, which melts the tank’s armor and forces its way through.

Shell - Wall of tank - Liquefied metal

MAXIMUM RANGE OF ANTI--TANK ORDNANCE Maverick: 25 miles TOW: 6.4 miles Hellfire: 4-5 miles HEAT: 4.8 miles Sources: Jane’s Armor and Artillery; Jane’s Weapons Systems; Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft; Illustrated Guide to Modern Airborne Missiles; Great Book of Modern Warplanes; Combat Arms Modern Attack Aircraft; Atlas of Modern Warfare; Osprey Vanguard--The M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank; ARCO Guide to Modern Soviet Army Weapons; Land-Sea-Air Firepower