Sealed round
Encyclopedia
A sealed round is a munition which is typically stored in some kind of container (usually a cylinder or box, but the container may in fact be the outside of the munition), so that the munition does not require any sort of maintenance and is stored in this container right up until the point that it is used. The advantage of this type of system is that such munitions can be stored for long periods without needing to be periodically checked and possibly repaired. Typically these, like all munitions, still do have a shelf-life — but it is often quite long. Bullets have been sealed rounds ever since the cartridge case was invented.
The MIM-104, S-300P and S-300V missiles are stored in cylinders, which they are ejected out of upon launch. The 9M33 missiles are stored in boxes in the factory and launched out of them. The AIM-54C missiles are not stored in any kind of container, but are sealed unlike the earlier AIM-54A and AIM-54B which exchanged fluids with the host aircraft. In this case, the advantage of low maintenance has been exchanged for the disadvantage of lower capability, but this is not the case with the other examples.
, the Russian RPG-18
and the Swedish AT4
- also use the container as the launcher, so that the whole system is discarded after firing.
Anti-aircraft missiles
Many surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and air-to-air missiles (AAMs), which are traditionally very maintenance-heavy systems, are moving to this type of system. Examples of modern missile systems which feature sealed rounds include:- MIM-104 "Patriot"MIM-104 PatriotThe MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the Raytheon Company of the United States. The Patriot System replaced the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary High to Medium...
SAM - S-300P (SA-10 "Grumble") SAM
- S-300V (SA-12 "Gladiator"/"Giant") SAM
- 9M33M2/3 "Osa-AKM" (SA-8B "Gecko") SAM
- AIM-54C ECCM/Sealed "Phoenix"AIM-54 PhoenixThe AIM-54 Phoenix is a radar-guided, long-range air-to-air missile , carried in clusters of up to six missiles on F-14 Tomcats, its only launch platform. The Phoenix was the United States' only long-range air-to-air missile. The weapons system based on Phoenix was the world's first to allow...
AAM
The MIM-104, S-300P and S-300V missiles are stored in cylinders, which they are ejected out of upon launch. The 9M33 missiles are stored in boxes in the factory and launched out of them. The AIM-54C missiles are not stored in any kind of container, but are sealed unlike the earlier AIM-54A and AIM-54B which exchanged fluids with the host aircraft. In this case, the advantage of low maintenance has been exchanged for the disadvantage of lower capability, but this is not the case with the other examples.
Anti-tank weapons
Many infantry anti-tank weapons use sealed rounds, some - such as the US M72 LAWM72 LAW
The M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al...
, the Russian RPG-18
RPG-18
The RPG-18 Mukha is a Russian short-range, disposable light anti-tank rocket launcher.-History:The RPG-18 is very similar to the US M72-series LAW anti-tank rocket and was developed after the Soviet military obtained M72s from its allies in Vietnam...
and the Swedish AT4
AT4
The AT4 is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics...
- also use the container as the launcher, so that the whole system is discarded after firing.