Municiones

Proyectil HESH L31

Also known as
  • L31A7
  • L31A7 HESH
  • HESH L31
  • 120 mm L31A7 HESH
  • Proyectil HESH de 120 mm
  • 120 mm HESH L31
  • High-explosive squash head L31

El proyectil HESH L31 es un proyectil británico de 120 mm de alto explosivo de cabeza plástica para cañones de carro rayados Royal Ordnance, incluido el L30A1 del Challenger 2. RO Defence/Jane's lo describe como un proyectil de propósito general contra blindaje, fortificaciones, estructuras y posible fuego indirecto, mientras que la cobertura de la guerra de Iraq de 2003 documenta fuego HESH de Challenger 2 en un incidente de fratricidio ocurrido en 2003 en el área de Basora.

Proyectil HESH L31, Proyectil HESH de 120 mm, Municiones
Image source: 120MM HESH Round.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Calibre
120 mm
Tipo de proyectil
High-explosive squash head (HESH)
Designación
L31A7
Familia de cañón
Cañón de carro rayado L30A1
Cañones británicos compatibles
Cañones de carro rayados de 120 mm L11 y L30A1
Carga
Proyectil de carga separada con carga propulsora y estopín eléctrico
Carga propulsora
CP SH L3A2 para proyectiles HESH, fumígenos y de práctica squash-head
Carga explosiva
Alrededor de 4,2 kg de RDX/cera en un proyectil de paredes delgadas
Alcance máximo citado
Hasta 8.500 m
Velocidad inicial
670 m/s
Armas de disparo

El L31 está documentado en la familia británica de munición para cañones de carro rayados de 120 mm y en la dotación de munición del Challenger 2.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
Challenger 2, Main battle tank, TanksChallenger 2Carro de combate principal

El Challenger 2 usa el cañón rayado L30A1, y el perfil de munición de RO Defence/Jane's identifica el HESH L31 dentro de la familia Royal Ordnance de 120 mm empleada con la línea de cañones L11 y L30A1.

Sources: RO Defence 120mm tank gun ammunition, Challenger 2 Castlemartin Service Inquiry

Round And Firing Chain

El L31 no es un cartucho de una sola pieza. En el contexto de servicio del Challenger 2, el proyectil se carga con una carga propulsora separada y un estopín eléctrico que inicia la carga principal en el cañón L30A1.

ElementoFunciónDetalle documentado
Proyectil L31/L31A7Proyectil HESH operativoRO Defence/Jane's describe un proyectil squash-head de paredes delgadas, cargado con RDX/cera, para blindaje, fortificaciones, estructuras y posible fuego indirecto.
CP SH L3A2Carga propulsoraLa investigación de servicio de la Defence Safety Authority identifica la CP SH L3A2 como la carga usada para proyectiles HESH, fumígenos y de práctica squash-head en el contexto del armamento principal del Challenger 2.
L4A2 electric vent tubeCarga iniciadoraLa misma investigación identifica el L4A2 tube vent electric como la carga iniciadora para el cañón L30A1 del Challenger 2.
Timeline

Proyectil HESH L31 Key Events

  1. Perfil de munición de RO Defence

    Jane's perfiló la munición de RO Defence para cañones de carro de 120 mm y describió el HESH L31 como parte de la familia de munición para los cañones rayados L11/L30A1.

  2. HESH disparado en un incidente de la guerra de Iraq de 2003

    La cobertura de la Operación Iraqi Freedom y el registro catalogado de la Board of Inquiry del Challenger 2 cubren el incidente en el área de Basora en el que una tripulación británica de Challenger 2 disparó proyectiles HESH.

  3. Publicados detalles de la cadena de disparo del Challenger 2

    La investigación de servicio de la Defence Safety Authority describió el cañón L30A1 del Challenger 2, la definición de HESH, la carga propulsora CP SH L3A2 y el estopín eléctrico L4A2.

Media

Proyectil HESH L31 Images

Proyectil HESH L31, Proyectil HESH de 120 mm, Municiones - view 1
Source: Arjun tank's HESH round impacting an armour block.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
120 mm L2 HESH, 120 mm high-explosive squash-head recoilless-rifle ammunition, MunitionsMunitions120 mm L2 HESH120 mm high-explosive squash-head recoilless-rifle ammunitionThe 120 mm L2 HESH round was the high-explosive squash-head ammunition for Britain's BAT-family recoilless anti-tank rifles, pairing a separate-loaded 120 mm projectile and propellant case with the L2 BAT, L4 MOBAT, and L6 WOMBAT family. A 1964 joint-services ammunition-marking handbook identifies the service store as 120 mm B.A.T. H.E.S.H. L19A3, while specialist sources use the L2 HESH label for the BAT-family round. Australian War Memorial collection data documents BAT HESH ammunition tubes with an L4 MOBAT in Malacca during the Indonesian Confrontation, giving the round a direct source-backed conflict context without implying that the specific photographed rounds were fired.
76mm HEP-T M329, 76 mm fixed HESH-T / HEP-T tank-gun round, MunitionsMunitions76mm HEP-T M32976 mm fixed HESH-T / HEP-T tank-gun roundThe 76mm HEP-T M329 is a MECAR high-explosive squash head service round for the British L5A1 and L23/L23A1 76 mm gun family used on Saladin and Scorpion vehicles. Nexter's 2016 ammunition catalog lists it as an in-service fixed HESH-T round for personnel, bunkers, light armour, structures, and other material targets, with a Composition A3-filled projectile, base-detonating graze fuze, M23 tracer, and 533 m/s nominal muzzle velocity.
120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition, 120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition for rifled gun-mortars, MunitionsMunitions120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition for rifled gun-mortars120 mm high-explosive anti-tank ammunition is the direct-fire anti-armor round class used by Soviet and Russian rifled gun-mortars in the Nona family. Forecast International identifies the 2S23 Nona-SVK's 2A60 weapon as firing HEAT ammunition for direct-fire applications, while specialist munition references identify the 3VBK14/3BK19 round as a documented 120 mm HEAT-FS-T load for armored-target engagements.

Sources

RO Defence 120mm tank gun ammunitionPublisher: Jane's Defence News | Note: Describes RO Defence 120 mm tank-gun ammunition, L11/L30A1 gun context, HESH L31 role, construction, explosive fill, charge context, and cited range. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Challenger 2 Castlemartin Service InquiryPublisher: UK Ministry of Defence | Note: Defines HESH in Challenger 2 main-armament context and identifies the L30A1 gun, CP SH L3A2 propelling charge, and L4A2 electric vent tube. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Blue on Blue - Ground Incidents during Operation Iraqi FreedomPublisher: Defense Update | Note: Directly supports 2003 Iraq War conflict use by reporting that a British Challenger II fired HESH rounds in the Basra-area fratricide incident during Operation Iraqi Freedom. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Challenger 2 25 March 2003 Board of InquiryPublisher: UK Ministry of Defence | Note: Archived official Board of Inquiry for the 25 March 2003 Challenger 2 incident near Basra, supporting the 2003 Iraq War incident context for the conflict-use row. | Accessed: 2026-06-29House of Commons Defence Committee depleted uranium evidencePublisher: UK Parliament | Note: Provides British parliamentary background on 120 mm HESH ammunition in British tank service and its relationship to the CHARM system. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikipedia Challenger 2Publisher: Wikipedia | Note: Lists L31 HESH among Challenger 2's carried rounds and gives the tank's 120 mm rifled-gun context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Royal Ordnance L30Publisher: Wikipedia | Note: Describes the L31A7 HESH projectile as part of the L30 ammunition family and gives muzzle velocity and loading context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29GlascoedPublisher: BAE Systems Heritage | Note: Covers the Glascoed ammunition site and its production of 120 mm tank ammunition for Chieftain and Challenger, supporting the Royal Ordnance/RO Defence manufacturing lineage. | Accessed: 2026-06-29120MM HESH Round.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports primary image provenance for the HESH round cross-section photograph hosted on Wikimedia Commons. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Arjun tank's HESH round impacting an armour block.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports gallery image provenance for a reusable Wikimedia Commons HESH-impact photograph. | Accessed: 2026-06-29