Armour-piercing ammunition used in tank cannon, the discarding-sabot round permits the firing of a high-velocity sub- caliber round with greater accuracy over longer ranges than conventional rounds.

After leaving the cannon barrel, the surrounding sabot falls away from the core of the round, which is usually a small rod of very dense metal. This gives the smaller round the higher initial velocity of a larger round and thus increases its penetrating power over a greater distance.

The APDS-T has a tracer that allows the gunner to follow the round during flight and correct targeting errors.