Armour-piercing ammunition

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Armour-piercing (AP) ammunition is a type of projectile designed to penetrate armour, including naval armour, vehicle armour, and body armour. Armour-piercing ammunition was developed in the late 19th century to defeat the armour of ironclad warships and later, during the 20th century, became a key component of anti-tank warfare. AP ammunition evolved from hardened full-calibre steel shot and shell to include sub-calibre kinetic energy penetrators such as armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) and armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS), as armour technology advanced. Armour-piercing ammunition comprises a variety of projectile designs for use against different targets and armour types, ranging from small-arms ammunition to large-calibre tank and naval gun projectiles. Modern kinetic-energy penetrators are typically made from dense materials such as tungsten heavy alloys or depleted uranium.

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