Page 151 - Israel Defense Directory 2013-14
P. 151
VIDCO THERMAL SHROUD
Protecting the Gun Barrel from the VIDCO INDUSTRIES LTD.
Environmental Influence
2 Ha’ofan St.,
Industrial Zone
Holon 5881419, Israel
Tel: 972-3-5570981
Fax: 972-3-5595715
E-mail: ron.zukerman@vishaypg.com
THE SOLUTION VIDCO's Thermal Shroud compared to shrouds under the same environmental
others: and firing conditions as above, the error
VIDCO's thermal shroud reduces the will be ±120 to 140 centimeters, hence
bending of the barrel to a minimum VIDCO's thermal shroud reaches an quite probably the round will not hit the
regardless of thermal conditions due to efficiency of 75% to 80% under all enemy tank. Therefore, without an
the environment or firing rate and environmental and firing conditions; efficient thermal shroud, the fire-
thereby substantially reduces the the efficiency of other thermal shrouds control system, even if it is very
problems mentioned above. The under the same conditions is within 30% sophisticated, will not be effective.
efficiency, E, of a thermal shroud is to 40%. Simply stated, this means that VIDCO Industries has over 30 years
expressed as follows: under severe environmental and firing experience in making Thermal Shrouds.
E = 100x(A-B)/A, (%), where (A) is the field conditions, the target will be hit The Israel Defense Forces (I.D.F.)
bending of the bare barrel (barrel within ±20 to 25 centimeters if it is studied the barrel bending problem and
without thermal shroud) due to placed at a distance of 1000 meters examined VIDCO's solution. As a
environmental and / or firing conditions from the gun which uses the VIDCO result, the I.D.F adapted VIDCO's
expressed in thousands of a radian, (B) thermal shroud. For other thermal Thermal Shroud for the Merkava tanks
is the bending of the same barrel but shrouds, this error, at the same as well as for its other tanks (Centurion,
with the thermal shroud attached to it distance, will be at best ±60 to 70 M48 and M60 Patton, etc.). In the I.D.F.,
and under the same environmental centimeters. Since the error is VIDCO's Thermal Shroud has proven its
and / or firing conditions as the bare proportional to distance, it follows that at efficiency and durability in many
barrel, also expressed in thousands of a 2000-meter target distance, the total battle conditions.
a radian. bending error for a gun with a VIDCO VIDCO's Thermal Shroud can be
type shroud will be ±40 to 50 adapted to any barrel of any tank,
centimeters, thus still providing for a according to the customer's
high first-hit probability. For other requirements.
18 rounds, 105 mm ammunition, 1000 m range. Target is 1x1 m.
Land Forces Tanks and Armored Combat Vehicles 151
