Engineering:Hoffman tank gunfire simulator
Introduced in the early 1980's, the Hoffman tank gunfire simulator is a pyrotechnic device manufactured by Diehl Defence, used in military training alongside non-gunfire training systems such as MILES. It consists of an array of tubes (usually nine,[1] though the variant for the Leopard 2 has seventeen[2]) resembling a multiple grenade launcher into which explosive cartridges are inserted: these generate a flash, sound and smoke plume designed to imitate the firing of a tank gun.
Description
The Hoffman simulator mounts to a bracket which is mounted somewhere near the front of a tank's turret. On the M1 Abrams it is clamped to the fume extractor,[citation needed] while on recent variants of the Leopard 2 it is mounted on the frontal turret armor.[citation needed] The system is manually loaded and fired electrically, with firing linked to the trigger of the tank's main gun.
The system is referred to as the "Simulator Tank Gunfire: Main Weapons Effect Signature" in US service, with the cartridges referred to as Simulator, Flash, Artillery M21.[3]
Safety concerns
Over the course of 20 years of service with the US Army, the Hoffman Device acquired a reputation for being prone to accidental discharges: while it is only supposed to fire when triggered electrically, there were numerous cases where static electricity or other local electrical fields resulted in uncommanded firing. A series of internal documents obtained by CBS News in 2003 included statements that "the ammunition is always unsafe" and saying many of the devices were "an accident waiting to happen."[4]
In early 2004, modifications were made to Hoffman simulators to prevent uncommanded firing, and a notification was circulated stating that any unmodified devices found in stock should be destroyed.[5]
References
- ↑ https://cdn10.picryl.com/photo/1985/10/02/a-member-of-the-177th-armored-brigade-stands-by-on-a-tank-while-participating-362ec3-640.jpg [bare URL image file]
- ↑ http://www.worldwide-military.com/Army%20Material/EU,US%20Tanks%20plaatjes/groot/Leopard%202%20A6%20(Nederland)_003.jpg [bare URL image file]
- ↑ "MOTIS Ordnance Category". http://uxoinfo.com/blogcfc/client/includes/uxopages/Mulvaney_Details.cfm?Ord_Id=Y35.
- ↑ "Army Covered up Simulator Danger". 11 March 2003. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/army-covered-up-simulator-danger/.
- ↑ "No red dot? Use it not! - Free Online Library". https://www.thefreelibrary.com/No+red+dot%3F+Use+it+not!-a0116339955.
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