Kinetic energy penetrator

Early cannons fired kinetic energy ammunition, initially consisting of heavy balls of worked stone and later of dense metals.

Similarly, the foremost purpose of such weapons has generally been to defeat protective shells of armored vehicles or other defensive structures, whether it is stone walls, sailship timbers, or modern tank armour.

Germany developed modern sabots under the name "treibspiegel" ("thrust mirror") to give extra altitude to its anti-aircraft guns during the Second World War.

The name "sabot" (pronounced /ˈsæboʊ/ SAB-oh in English usage)[1] is the French word for clog (a wooden shoe traditionally worn in some European countries).

High-velocity armor-piercing (HVAP) rounds were primarily used by tank destroyers in the US Army and were relatively uncommon as the tungsten core was expensive and prioritized for other applications.

This was resolved with the introduction of the armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) round during the 1970s, which added stabilising fins to the penetrator, greatly increasing accuracy.