A Study on the Evolutionary Analysis of Development Trend of APFSDS and Policy Recommendations by Analyzing Ammunition Specification Data

In the battlefield, tanks are tasked with suppressing enemy tanks and armored vehicles, and Armor-Piercing Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot (APFSDS) ammunition is suitable for such missions. While there have been claims suggesting that tanks are no longer necessary on the battlefield, countries worldwide continue to develop new tanks and advanced tank ammunition. This trend is evident in South Korea as well, emphasizing the need for policy recommendations regarding the development of tank ammunition. Therefore, in this study, we collected specification data on APFSDS from various countries developed to date, analyzing the evolutionary trends of tank ammunition through principal component analysis. To validate these results, classification models were employed. The significance of this research lies in confirming the development trend of tank ammunition from evolutionary perspective and providing policy recommendations essential for the tank-related initiatives of the South Korean Army.