The Weapon of the Future Just Got Better

Weatherman2020

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Mar 3, 2013
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Right coast, classified
The problem with artillery is dealing with the gunpowder. It ways a lot, takes up a lot of space, it causes barrels to overheat, and most of all can go off accidently.

Navy plans to use railguns that will have a 23 pound warhead. You can store as many of them as you can on a ship and no concern of an accidental explosion or a hit from an enemy shell setting off your magazine (see USS Arizona).

General Atomics Announces Next-Generation Railgun Pulsed-Power Containers.

“For the past decade, GA-EMS has provided pulsed power in support of the Navy’s railgun program,” stated Nick Bucci, vice president Missile Defense and Space Systems at GA-EMS. “Our next generation HEPPC breaks our own energy density record and exceeds the capabilities of other available railgun pulsed power container solutions. What we have packed into a 10-foot standard shipping container is equivalent to what is currently available in a 20-foot shipping container, doubling the energy density to provide greater flexibility for ship and land-based installations and maneuverability for mobile applications.”

GA-EMS internally funded the development of the HEPPC in support of a Multi-mission Medium Range Railgun Weapons System, which integrates pulsed power, launcher, hybrid missile and fire-control technologies. Each HEPPC includes high-energy pulsed power modules with an energy content of more than 415 kilojoules per module. Each module utilizes GA-EMS’ world-record-breaking high-energy density capacitors.


And if you have not seen one in action, here it is. 125 mile range versus our current 20 mile range with gunpowder.
 
This

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Will go right through ships and keep on going.
upload_2017-3-10_13-18-27.png
 
Weren't conservatives complaining and bitching at Obama over the cost of ammunition for the rail gun not that long ago?
 
Weren't conservatives complaining and bitching at Obama over the cost of ammunition for the rail gun not that long ago?

Why would they bitch? Electricity is cheaper than gunpowder, and there is a lot less wear and tear on the weapon itself, and the ammo is nothing more than a hunk of steel.
 
Weren't conservatives complaining and bitching at Obama over the cost of ammunition for the rail gun not that long ago?
I think you're confusing rail gun ammo with the LRAP ammo for the Navy's AGS on Zumwalt. That isn't a rail gun, it still uses gunpowder as a chemical propellant. The difference was the guided munitions that went with it, which had a really long range and great accuracy but due to cost overruns and greatly reduced order scale (which happens when you're only building a few ships) went into boondoggle territory and was canceled. I believe by the time they chopped down to three Zummys a single LRAP round cost well over half a million dollars each. Obviously when two rounds from AGS cost the same as a tomahawk missile that can put a bigger 1000lb warhead on target from over a thousand miles away, the cost/function equation is untenable.

Hyper velocity projectile to the rescue. HPV is same as used on rail gun, but shaped to be fired from a chemical gun like AGS or 5" naval gun. Info here:

New Rounds For Old Guns Could Change Missile Defense for Navy, Army
 
Actually that MetalStorm makes zero sense to me, even aside from how you could reload it in the field.

He made a 36 barrel gun but only 9mm, what is that useful for? No solider is carrying that thing around. If you want to use it as a CIWS weapon on a ship you'd need at least a 20mm round (for both the range and the punch) so it would be a monstrosity, and I don't see the advantage over a gatling gun that can also put up a very high rate of fire but use a far easier to manage ammunition drum that can be changed out.

Given that article is 16 years old and I've never heard of this thing being purchased by any military I'm not the only skeptic.
 
Not only can you make a rail gun that fires a long ways, but this tech can also make a gun that will fire 1 MILLION rounds per min.

Use the rail gun for long distance and use Metalstorm for close in defense.

Metal Storm Weapons

I don't get it, how do you reload it?

Thought you were referring to the rail gun.
As far as the metal storm goes I'm sure an automated method could be designed that loaded through a rear facing breech rather than a top load.
 
Actually that MetalStorm makes zero sense to me, even aside from how you could reload it in the field.

He made a 36 barrel gun but only 9mm, what is that useful for? No solider is carrying that thing around. If you want to use it as a CIWS weapon on a ship you'd need at least a 20mm round (for both the range and the punch) so it would be a monstrosity, and I don't see the advantage over a gatling gun that can also put up a very high rate of fire but use a far easier to manage ammunition drum that can be changed out.

Given that article is 16 years old and I've never heard of this thing being purchased by any military I'm not the only skeptic.

I dont see a lot of use for the metal storm either.
The Phalanx for ship defense and the minigun seem a much better solution.
 
The problem with artillery is dealing with the gunpowder. It ways a lot, takes up a lot of space, it causes barrels to overheat, and most of all can go off accidently.

Navy plans to use railguns that will have a 23 pound warhead. You can store as many of them as you can on a ship and no concern of an accidental explosion or a hit from an enemy shell setting off your magazine (see USS Arizona).

General Atomics Announces Next-Generation Railgun Pulsed-Power Containers.

“For the past decade, GA-EMS has provided pulsed power in support of the Navy’s railgun program,” stated Nick Bucci, vice president Missile Defense and Space Systems at GA-EMS. “Our next generation HEPPC breaks our own energy density record and exceeds the capabilities of other available railgun pulsed power container solutions. What we have packed into a 10-foot standard shipping container is equivalent to what is currently available in a 20-foot shipping container, doubling the energy density to provide greater flexibility for ship and land-based installations and maneuverability for mobile applications.”

GA-EMS internally funded the development of the HEPPC in support of a Multi-mission Medium Range Railgun Weapons System, which integrates pulsed power, launcher, hybrid missile and fire-control technologies. Each HEPPC includes high-energy pulsed power modules with an energy content of more than 415 kilojoules per module. Each module utilizes GA-EMS’ world-record-breaking high-energy density capacitors.


And if you have not seen one in action, here it is. 125 mile range versus our current 20 mile range with gunpowder.

Sounds like we need, fusion (an energy with a future) to advance that area of military science.

GA-EMS’ world-record-breaking high-energy density capacitors.

With enough of those connected to a "national" fault tolerant grid; large scale grid power storage may be less of a problem.
 
I've seen the test run videos
Actually that MetalStorm makes zero sense to me, even aside from how you could reload it in the field.

He made a 36 barrel gun but only 9mm, what is that useful for? No solider is carrying that thing around. If you want to use it as a CIWS weapon on a ship you'd need at least a 20mm round (for both the range and the punch) so it would be a monstrosity, and I don't see the advantage over a gatling gun that can also put up a very high rate of fire but use a far easier to manage ammunition drum that can be changed out.

Given that article is 16 years old and I've never heard of this thing being purchased by any military I'm not the only skeptic.
They have a Metal Storm platform that fires 40mm grenades it would be used as a area denial weapon or it could clear mine fields. As far as the 9 mm platform goes firing at a rate of 1 million rounds per second it would be great defensive weapon against incoming missiles.
 
"Each HEPPC includes high-energy pulsed power modules with an energy content of more than 415 kilojoules per module. Each module utilizes GA-EMS’ world-record-breaking high-energy density capacitors."

Side note to this thread:

This is the very thing, high-energy density capacitors, that is need for electric powered vehicles. Batteries just won't hack it. My preferred method would be hydrogen power but till we get the massive numbers of thorium reactors we need to generate hydrogen, capacitors will have to do.

p.s., I think the rail gun is neat.
 
Like a gattling
A gatling has multiple barrels but only one firing mechanism, it is fed from a drum since all the ammunition has a single source of entry to the firing mechanism. Out of ammo, change out the drum.

This metal storm thing has 36 different barrels that each have a many rounds stacked one behind the other with propellant between them. Clearly it cannot be reloaded like a gatling gun. They talk about all these theoretical massive rates of fire, yet all you'd do is empty the weapon immediately and have no way to easily reload it.
 
Like a gattling
A gatling has multiple barrels but only one firing mechanism, it is fed from a drum since all the ammunition has a single source of entry to the firing mechanism. Out of ammo, change out the drum.

This metal storm thing has 36 different barrels that each have a many rounds stacked one behind the other with propellant between them. Clearly it cannot be reloaded like a gatling gun. They talk about all these theoretical massive rates of fire, yet all you'd do is empty the weapon immediately and have no way to easily reload it.

I'm sure a loading mechanism could be designed,but the thing seem's a little redundant when you already have the Phalanx system and the minigun which both throw out a shitload of lead.
You want more? Get two of em.
 
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As for naval weapons, I think the first priority is to find ways to keep the latest additions to the fleet from continually breaking down. Keep them afloat. And ensure the crews are capable of sailing them.
 

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