(U) Early Metal Storm tasks demonstrated revolutionary weapon concepts for firing small caliber projectiles at very high rates without the need for internal moving parts. The continuing Mach 5/50 tasks extend the concepts and technologies for leap-ahead performance in tactically relevant, lightweight, medium caliber direct fire weapons. The medium caliber projectiles (50 millimeter bore) will have a minimum muzzle velocity of 1,600 meters per second (~ Mach 5) at 600 rounds per minute or greater. Mach 5/50 technology development will provide multiple services with a low-cost, reliable enabling technology to support a wide range of current/future applications including extended range combat vehicle firepower and lethality, full-spectrum future combat vehicle lethality for active protection systems, high engagement rate naval air defense,
critical fixed site defense and improved aircraft self-defense. Portions of the technology development will be conducted under an agreement with the Australian Defence Science and Technology Office.

(U) Program Plans:
- Develop medium caliber concepts, detailed performance simulations and technical analyses.
- Fabricate and test critical technology subsystems.
- Complete integration of pre-prototype components and evaluate against simulation-based interim performance parameters.
- Critical design review and complete fabrication of full-function prototype.
- Complete system test and evaluation of full function prototype and validate simulations.
- Conduct firing demonstration and deliver final report.
- Transition hardware and data packages to DoD laboratories for Service-specific engineering and platform integration.



Mr. M

I've heard a lot about Mach 25+ weapons/aircraft. Projects like the Aurora and such, possibly these weapons are made for high speed strikes and attacks?

I think I've seen it, a large array(panel) with individual barrels with rounds that are stacked inside each barrel. Need a refill? just deploy another panel. Can't remember the name(other than the one you listed) damn near sounds Italian though. The name sounds Italian yes, I know it's an Aussie program. They also have made handguns and rifles utilizing the same basic concept

[Edited on 15-5-2004 by bign]

[Edited on 15-5-2004 by bign]

Do you have any pictures of this? I'd like to see them, if you do.


Mr. M

I was wrong about the Italian sounding name, O Dwyer sounds like they drink Guiness or Bass

I built a rail gun which could fire through a foot of cement at 100 yrds away with a .40 caliper steel ball. I know the government uses these in many of their projects. Could this just be an improvement of the rail gun technology. ?

really?
what size?
info plz! i love rail guns!
if a weapon goes to mach speeds doesnt that create a hell of a lot of stress on the weapon?
i mean take the lynx its tips nearly reech mach 1 and that creates a lot of stress

I believe the government has rail guns that do a tad better than we can do at home...Yeah.... I believe a company in the San Diego area by the name of Maxwell labs does stuff like that and D.E.W. I delivered office supplies and furniture in the past which took me to so many neet companies it staggers the imagination but, it is true, I've been to Maxwell when they were setting up their facility and then read about Maxwells toys a bit later in a publication. I recall a electromagnetic gun firing Lexan w/ ferrous insert at approx' mach6 to 8.

[Edited on 19-5-2004 by bign]

The publication I read about the O'Dwyer developments was--Popular Science--21st Century Soldier. This is a must read guys really.............

Hello all...I'm new to this forum.

I saw a tv show on metalstorm about 2 months ago. It might have been on Techtv or discovery, I don't remember.

I do know however that if you get the projectile velocity up high enough, the round needn't be very big, the kinetic energy released on impact would be devestating. Plus the round would glow due to air friction and would look something akin to a laser beam from a sci-fi movie at night.

I remember watching some video a couple years ago on kinetic kill weapons which showed a watermelon being vaporized by a BB.

Pretty cool stuff.

yeah thats why bullets from sniper rifles cause really large exit wounds
u should c what a rail gun will do to your chest