30mm AHEAD Shrapnel Shell

AHEAD stands for Advanced Hit Efficiency And Destruction

This round is filled with 152 tungsten cylinders weighing 3.3 grams each.

This round, like most shrapnel rounds, is designed to explode just before reaching it’s target, thereby scattering the tungsten cylinders in a cone pattern. The tungsten shrapnel continues forward at extreme speed and impacts the target over a much broader area than a regular round would effect. Because it causes moderate damage over a wide area this round is particularly well suited for point defense, ie, shooting down incoming missiles and aircraft that get too close.

The fuse (which is located just behind the tungsten cylinders) is essentially just a really accurate timer. The timer is set wirelessly via coils built into the gun immediately before each individual round is fired. Although I wasn’t able to find a very comprehensive guide on this round, I image they also adjust the timer to control the spread of shrapnel for different targets. Detonating the round sooner, further from the target, would cause a wider spread of shrapnel but do less damage per area. Whereas detonating the round later, closer to the target, would cause a tighter spread of shrapnel and do more damage per target area.