Weapons tech

[dracodraconis]

More stuff from the archive.

Source: Defence Tech Raytheon has developed a Laser Area Defence System (LAD) capable of detonating 60-millimetre mortars. Battle-grade lasers are not yet a reality, but at the rate of development they are not far off.

Source: Gizmodo Although not strictly a weapon, it may help relieve the urge to bring one in to work. Beat the bag and, when enough pressure has built up, and the rocket is released. Feel free to beat your rocket in front of your coworkers.

Source: Defense Tech The Phalanx CIWS system is an autonomous 20-mm gun capable of firing 4,500 rounds per second, referred to colloquially by the Navy as R2-D2 "attack droid".

Source: Gizmodo The DREAD gun electromagnetically launches steel bearings at a rate of 120,000 rounds per second minute at 8000 ft/sec. By comparison, an M16 shoots up to 900 rounds per second at 3200 ft/sec. It does all this with no muzzle flash (not powder being ignited) and no recoil.

Source: Gizmodo This "gun" is actually a custom-designed 400-mm camera called the Lieca Gun.

Comments

[ancalagon-tb.livejournal.com]

the DREAD system had me a bit sceptical, but others have debunked it http://thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=1777692&postcount=3

[dracodraconis.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'd seen the refutations as well.

Several notes: First, assuming this system could be demonstrated to function with the stated firing rate and muzzle velocity, the system would not be truly recoiless, just recoil-reduced due to the absence of an "impulse" source. Basic physics says that if you release a large volume of mass (even as a number of smaller bodies), there is the whole "equal and opposite force" thing that will push back on the gun, hence, recoil.

I can see muzzle flash being eliminated, but as the article you posted pointed out, there will be heat because the field and bearings are in motion. There will be energy leakage in the form of heat, so one could expect a physical upper limit due to either thermal breakdown of the electronics or the comfort level of the shooter.

There is also no indication of the power source, and to achieve the velocity and firing rate listed, the source is not going to be inconsiderable.

The whole idea is conceptual, but of enough interest that the military willing to shove money at it (See http://www.military.com/soldiertech/0,14632,Soldiertech_DREAD,,00.html). Of course, that doesn't mean that it is feasible (given the number of hair-brained military research projects out there).

Oh, another article on this:
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7365
As they noted there, the idea has merit, but the big unknown is what kind of power source they are planning to use.

Oh, this came up in the search:

An auto-shotgun on a UAV helicopter.

[ironphoenix.livejournal.com]

M16 cyclic ROF is 800 rounds per minute (http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m16-specs.htm), which gives about 13 rounds per second. They also give their speed as 120,000 rpm, not rps. Still, 2000 rounds per second at better than Mach 2 is going to make a bitch of a noise.

I agree that "recoilless" likely means "low-jerk" in this case: Newton is still upset over that word.

Power, ammunition supply, frictional heat... there are a few "issues."

[dracodraconis.livejournal.com]

I just double checked and it is rpm, not rps, which is pretty quick. I suspect that the inventor is more than a little hopeful and is overselling things considerably to get a military research contract.