METALSTORM
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Wow, I've never heard we had such a collaboration with the aussies. This is fantastic man, is this suppose to be our new overhead weapon system? Does the 4 barrels spin round and round like a minigun .... KEWL
The picture above is a high speed photograph of a 40mm projectile emerging from RedbackTM during testing.
Metal Storm/ST Kinetics 40mm high explosive being fired.
http://www.metalstorm.com/ -
Singapore, 20 February 2006 – Metal Storm Limited and Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics) are pleased to announce the successful firing of a range of jointly-developed, stacked configuration low velocity 40 mm electrically ignited munitions (EIM). The firings included high explosive (HE) munitions; enhanced blast explosive (EBX) munitions and air burst munitions (ABM). Less than lethal (LTL) munitions development will be undertaken in the future.
The firings follow from a teaming agreement that was signed by both parties in September 2005 to co-develop, produce and market 40 mm munitions for Metal Storm weapon systems. The agreement also provides for a broader relationship in which ST Kinetics would market Metal Storm 40 mm weapons systems in selected markets.
The firings, which were completed last week at ST KineticsÂ’ Bukit Timah range in Singapore, validate the compatibility between Metal StormÂ’s stacked round technology and selected ST KineticsÂ’ commercially available warheads.
“ST Kinetics is keen to become a total solutions provider for 40 mm munitions, encompassing both lethal and less than lethal products. We are delighted with the results of our joint developments and their compatibility with Metal Storm’s weapon systems. We look forward to capitalising on these initial achievements to further the commercial opportunities between our companies under our teaming agreement.” SEW Chee Jhuen, Deputy President (Operations) and President Defence Business, ST Kinetics.
“The significance of these firings is that we can now take selected ST Kinetics commercially available, off the shelf warheads and combine them with our own stacked munitions technology to provide an expanding suite of explosive and less than lethal munitions. The ability to use ST Kinetics’ off the shelf warheads is a major commercial step for the company. It positions us to demonstrate a range of selectable munitions in our integrated weapon systems to defence customers. We value ST Kinetics’ support in achieving this outcome, and plan to utilise this range of munitions in a number of existing and planned weapon system projects. ST Kinetics’ munitions are very much a key element in many of our future projects.” David Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Metal Storm Limited.
Metal Storm is exhibiting its technology as a guest of ST Kinetics at the Asian Aerospace Exhibition in Singapore 21- 26 February 2006.
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Media contacts:
Singapore Technologies Kinetics
Natalie Mah
Assistant Vice President/Head Corporate Communications
Tel: +65 6660 7448
Fax: +65 6265 8862
Email: [email protected]
Metal Storm Limited
Australia:
Ian Gillespie
Chief Operating Officer
Tel: +61 411 124 835
Fax: +61 7 3221 9788
Email: [email protected]
USA:
David Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +1 571 246 5571
Fax: +1 703 248 8262
Email: [email protected]
www.metalstorm.com -
there is even a video on it in the video section which I'm downloading.
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No... the barrels don't spin....
The 40mm rounds are stack loaded in the barrels. Electrically fired. No need to spin. -
yah
so anticlimax
then I wonder how rounds are fed by chain link or by hand.
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Currently, its by hand. Each barrel holds 4 rounds.
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Let's hope it will turn out to be a new weapon for SAF and SAR.
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if it is just a technology demonstrator then is ok but if is a real product then I think it really sucks lor even if it can be electrically fired, in a firefight who will be suicidal enough to risk sniper fire to stand on top of the IFV to slowly load 40mm grenade into each tube by hand siao ah!!
if you ask me I think the aussies design team must have lost it from the beginning or tom too many estacy pills to keep awake while developing this, they must be screw loose to have come out with such a thing
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Seriously i don't see any practical application with this metal storm technology with the firing of 40mm rounds. Firstly 40mm rounds are meant for area targets and firing that much rounds in such a short time at a single target(as the second picture seems to imply) is a waste of ammo. Reloading also presents a problem. However, i am sure that this is still in the initial stages of development and they will come out with solutions to all this potential problems.
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I talked with e ppl at AA06 e production model will have auto-loading, it will rotate 2 e vertical n load from below just like these rail SAM lanchers
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wow hope it will be fully automatic and can be reloaded by a the touch of a button
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I dunno lah, my first impression when I saw this was they finally developed a mini-gun that spits 40mm grenades.
Even if they auto load vertically, dun you think AGL with chained linked ammo would still be faster
This kind of thing cannot put on IFV sure mati one, fire 4 shots then load vertically and while taking sweet time to load kanna whack by RPG.
I think ah this kind of thing maybe only good for walled fortification defences Maybe can mount a few at intersections along a wall as turret to do 24 hour surveillence using sensors to monitor. -
Tat e idea
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Sorry it 16 shot not 4
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16 is much better
but hor in the end is how fast this thing can reload with 16 rounds again before it can be use and how big this thing + the autoloader going to be. -
Okay, this metal storm system, actually uses special 40mm grenades, not off the shelf ones.
What it basically does is that it is supposed to intercept and shred incoming RPG rounds, or anti-tank missiles before they can hit the vehicle. Special 40mm rounds will detonate a certain distance away from the vehicle in hope of forming a wall of lead to shred the missile.
The entire system is computerised. Sensors that detect missile launch will immediately slew the gun to the direction of the launch, and fire the special 40mm grenades and detonate them at a certain distance.
The system can also be over-ridden by the VC, to engage other threats. Eg. Snipers in windows etc. Non-lethal rounds such as tear gas rounds can also be fire from the same weapon without having to change the rounds.
Eg, u see 4 firing tubes rite? 1 tube can be reserved for special non-lethal grenades, while the rest can still pack other kinda options, HE, etc.
About reloading. From what I understand from the current system. THere is a small hatch under the 4 tubes. The 4 guns will point upwards and move into a reload position, where the loader can reload the weapon from inside the vehicle through the hatch.
The grenades are not individually loaded, but are loaded in forms of magazine tubes. One tube would have about 4 grenades inside. So its a matter of ejecting the empty tube, and putting in a new one.
Of course an autoloader would be helpful! =D -
ah ... i see .. i see the light now ... close in weapons systems for armored vehicles like the ones the americans have developed for their future combat systems program. I saw the FCS video "Normandy 2014" very impressive CIWS for tanks and armor veh able to intercept incoming rpg/antitank rockets.
no wonder this thing has sensors, wah that means this turret has reflexes dat will be lightning fast leh ...
but the implications here are even more significant now, if this thing will be big, imagine how just big the armored veh must be to accomodate this ho ho ho ...
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Singapore recently carried out tests with a VTOL UAV armed with 40 mm grenades.
It could be the Metal Storm Dragonfly or another ST development.
http://www.alert5.com/2006/03/shephards-asia-pacific-uav-day-one.html -
Thats why the initial version dun have auto loader... to include auto loader would take up even more space.Originally posted by four-niner:ah ... i see .. i see the light now ... close in weapons systems for armored vehicles like the ones the americans have developed for their future combat systems program. I saw the FCS video "Normandy 2014" very impressive CIWS for tanks and armor veh able to intercept incoming rpg/antitank rockets.
no wonder this thing has sensors, wah that means this turret has reflexes dat will be lightning fast leh ...
but the implications here are even more significant now, if this thing will be big, imagine how just big the armored veh must be to accomodate this ho ho ho ...
Its not only for Tanks lar... u can mount this on lighter vehicles as main weaponry also. The light vehicle would then have protection against RPGs and missiles, while still retaining adequate firepower, + a non-lethal option. Good for peace keeping duties where u need to disperse crowd with a tear gas cannister.
And yes, this system's automatic traverse is supposed to be fast enuff to point down the direction of launch and deploy a wall of lead/ in time. BUT one thing I'm not sure is how this system will fare against Top attack munitions. If I am not wrong, the sensors detect the direction of launch, and not really the missiles flight path itself. -
maybe for now it is only good for dumb rpg/antitank rocket.
if Top attack is mostly antipersonnel and mostly airburst is detonated 50m above target can this thing fire a round that far to intecept?
Also nowsadays many countries deploy mlrs with smart submunitions. In particular the russians sold a large quantity of smerch to number of countries incl china, these smerch deploy Bazalt MOTIV-3F anti-armour "smart" submunitions. The "smart" submunitions have dual-colour infrared sensors for terminal guidance and kinetic energy fragment warheads which are said to be able to penetrate 70 mm of armour at an angle of 30 degrees to the normal.
but look on bright side, if this one can deploy on vehicles then what abt military and commercial shipping? Commercial Airliners? -
possible also... for anti-ship systems. But i have a feeling it MAY be a bit harder to foil anti-ship missiles. For HEAT rounds or RPGs, all u need is to damage the copper lining of the warhead a bit, and it would be enuff to negate the effectiveness of the missile. Not sure abt HE warheads of Ships.
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yah maybe ships cannot use 40mm since most anti-ship missiles warhead have over 100kg HE, 40mm may not able to negate effects maybe apply same software but use something larger to counter.
If they manage to develop the software that tracks incoming rounds this could have massive implications and good news for all tankees they will now sweat lesser and can sleep easier at night
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click on the FCS video on normandy assault 2014
www.army.mil/fcs/
observe the part with the demo on intercepting rpg
alternative site I think same video might be faster
http://www.army.mil/professionalvideo/movies/fcs2005.mov -
For our ships at lest 1 of our LST has it SAM replaced with e Typhoon gun system, a 25mm CIWS,so far not known if other 3 r fitted
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I believe that LST you are refering to is the one which we sent to Iraq to guard some oil facility. But i am surprised that this particular one is without any SAM system. Do you have any links?