There's something wrong with the description of this being a tank "shell" being fired.
I think we're seing the firing of a Gun-Launched Anti-Tank missle...probably an AT-8 Songster (Soviet 9K112 Kobra).
I've seen too many main gun rounds being fired from tanks during my 31 years of military service as a U.S. Tank Crewman to believe that this is a standard main gun round being fired.
Here are the reasons I think so:
1. There is very little muzzle flash at the instant of firing...too little to be a high pressure main gun round. However, there is a very large ammount of gray smoke as one would expect to see from the booster motor of an ATGM.
2. The round has a large bore diameter that is too large for a SABOT round, but about right for a HEAT or HEP round.
3. The range is very short but the time of flight is too long...this is a VERY slow round. Too slow for a SABOT, HEAT, or HEP round.
4. The ammount of ballistic drop is extreme for a round fired from so close. This is however typical of the 3-5 degrees of additional elevation above the line of sight required for the missile guidance system to acquire the IR flare burning at the tail of the missile (clearly visible in the slow motion) which is used to correct the flight path, and guide the warhead to the target.
5. The terminal effects are much less than I would have expected from a HEAT or HEP round fired at close range...I don't think the warhead had enough time or distance to properly arm prior to the impact.
CptA
Steel on Target!
