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Science & Technology
Metal Storm Conducts Test Firings Of High Explosive Ammunition In The US
2006-03-23
Metal Storm announces that it has conducted initial test firings of High Explosive ammunition at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey in conjunction with the US Army's Armament Research Development and Engineering Centre (ARDEC).
The ammunition tested was a prototype High Explosive 40mm grenade assembly which is being developed by Metal Storm and ARDEC engineers under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) which was signed in September 2005. The development work and test firings are the initial phase of a project which ultimately plans to take existing certified munitions from the US Army inventory and convert them to Metal Storm configuration. This will enable firing by electronic initiation from Metal Storm launching systems.

David Smith, Metal Storm's CEO, said "This initial test firing of High Explosive munitions developed in conjunction with ARDEC sets in place the platform from which we aim to build a range of munitions utilising existing US certified warheads and components."

"This will complement the munitions development program we are currently engaged in with ST Kinetics in Singapore which produced the successful test-firing of High Explosive, Enhanced Blast and Air Burst munitions last month." he said.

"Our strategy is to take commercially available off-the-shelf munitions that have been certified for military use and convert them to Metal Storm configuration, thereby minimising the time and cost required to have munitions certified by the military for use with our weapons. This should also ensure our products match the customers established requirements" he said.

Further test firings and the trialling of different munition designs with ARDEC are ongoing as part of the munitions development program. Demonstration firings are planned for the second quarter of 2006, with the timing dependant on the availability of demonstration range facilities and sufficient quantities of ammunition.
Posted by:DanNY

#23  The Wiki entry has excellent info, lol. There's even a continuous feed capability - addressing the reload issue, and more about the weight advantages and potential microlight UAV application.

Fuck - it's a redhead with big tits! I'm in Love!

Lol.
Posted by: Snuper Thramp5041   2006-03-23 23:52  

#22  Cool. There should be info somewhere in the mess that is, collectively, the Gov Mil sites - since they have thrown some R&D money at it, I presume.

Maybe remoteman, next time you see him post, could point you to definitive info. He seemed to imply he had more than a passing interest.
Posted by: Snuper Thramp5041   2006-03-23 23:44  

#21  I wasn't directing my questions to you.

I doubt I'd even know who you are even if you weren't using Fred's random name assignment gizmo.

As for digging for myself, well, I've been seeing press releases and press-release quality news articles about the company for about the last half-decade; I've read a lot about the system, without really learning anything relevant to the questions that have been bugging me for about the last three years of that half decade.
Posted by: Phil   2006-03-23 23:37  

#20  What part of "I'm not a MetalStorm salesman." are you having trouble with?

You want answers, I clearly told you I don't have them, but do see probable value in the product. You want more? Go google it up for yourself.

I'm not angry, son, I'm very mildly annoyed because you obviously directed your questions to me, to my post, instead of getting off your ass and digging for yourself after I said my piece.

No big deal - go figure it out and become the RB expert on why it's a good / bad system. That'd be cool.
Posted by: Snuper Thramp5041   2006-03-23 23:29  

#19  So now you're accusing me of flying off the handle and then telling me you don't care, but in relatively angry language.

Your complaints are probably either already addressed and you don't know the details - or the areas of application make them less relevant than you understand.

If they're addressed but I don't know the details, well, I'd like to know. That's why I was asking.
Posted by: Phil   2006-03-23 23:17  

#18  Gee. Let's chill for second. Everything has to be reloaded - and I don't think you know what you're complaining about, exactly. People who know a lot more about this than you do are interested. Your complaints are probably either already addressed and you don't know the details - or the areas of application make them less relevant than you understand.

I am not a MetalStorm salesman. I don't own their stock. I have seen a demo vid of massed fire, an incredible amount of lead and HE ordnance going downrange in amazing quantity, reminded me of short-range MLRS, which would cut the shit out of anyone or anything in its path. There were times when I would've loved having something like this. But hey, go for it. Get your shorts in a bunch and go crazy, which you seem to be determined to do. I don't give a fuck.
Posted by: Snuper Thramp5041   2006-03-23 23:04  

#17   Massed fire capability / very high rates of fire,

Not sustained high rates of fire.

It has a very high rate of fire for a couple seconds. Then it's time to reload, which involves changing the barrel.

remote control,

You could attach a remote control to a conventional firearm. Such exist in the real world already, on many APC's like the Stryker. It doesn't require Metal Storm.

weight, wheeled terrain mobility, the remarkable flexibility described in #5 - all in one weapon, probably reliability (no / less jamming, etc), developing airborne capability...

Any of this sound interesting to you?

I do not see how 2/3 of the stuff you're describing above proceeds from Metalstorm's ammo-integrated-in-barrel concept.
Posted by: Phil   2006-03-23 22:45  

#16  Massed fire capability / very high rates of fire, remote control, weight, wheeled terrain mobility, the remarkable flexibility described in #5 - all in one weapon, probably reliability (no / less jamming, etc), developing airborne capability...

Any of this sound interesting to you?

Re-read #5 and know that remoteman is a user of these systems - the nym is no accident. This isn't just cool / uncool - this is his real MOS gig. If he likes it, I like it.

Whatever. I'm not a MetalStorm salesman.
Posted by: Snuper Thramp5041   2006-03-23 21:59  

#15  You keep pointing me at descriptions of the technology without telling me why it's better than a conventional firearm.
Posted by: Phil   2006-03-23 21:31  

#14  The technology. I think "the point" is in there, if you're actually interested.
Posted by: Snuper Thramp5041   2006-03-23 20:46  

#13  Zenster: I understood that.

I just don't see the _point_.
Posted by: Phil   2006-03-23 20:35  

#12  Sounds kind of Rube Goldbergian.
Posted by: Besoeker   2006-03-23 20:22  

#11  Phil, each barrel is a magazine. You reload barrels at a time for the Metal Storm effect. The grenade is another matter.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-03-23 20:20  

#10  How would Metalstorm help?

I don't understand how the machinegun is supposed to be improved by combining the magazine with the barrel and making reloading harder.
Posted by: Phil   2006-03-23 17:15  

#9  Easy enough.

1. CIWS deployed to major facilities and bases to protect from incoming mortars.

then

2. Manual operation on grouped ground-level man-sized targets.

Stops "human waves" pretty quickly.

No need to collect bodies. Unless you want to use a hose, a mop and a snow shovel.
Posted by: OldSpook   2006-03-23 16:56  

#8  I've talked to a couple of folks (on the civilian contractor side)who've been over there, and they have mentioned that there's a worry that the Bad Guyz might try to just overwhelm a base or outpost with sheer manpower.

No doubt the weapons in their hands would disappear as their bodies are collected, allowing accusations of a massacre.
Posted by: Robert Crawford   2006-03-23 14:31  

#7  Yes - as they did in the police station attacks. Good point, Mike.
Posted by: Snuper Thramp5041   2006-03-23 14:30  

#6  Phased Array -
I've talked to a couple of folks (on the civilian contractor side)who've been over there, and they have mentioned that there's a worry that the Bad Guyz might try to just overwhelm a base or outpost with sheer manpower. MetalStorm - or a few of 'em - would be a big help in a contingency like that.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-03-23 14:25  

#5  Metal Storm has better applications than just stopping the rare human wave attack (something that the current machine gun is more than capable of doing).

A great benefit of this technology is that you can have barrels of differing diameters packed together into a single weapon. These barrels hold different types of rounds, which are used to perform different missions. So in one box you could have some tubes of 40mm HE, some 25MM AP, some non-lethal and even some 7.62 or 9mm. Horses for courses as it were.

As far as Metal Storm stock, I wouldn't touch it. It is going to be years before these guys get any serious sales. They have already been on the edge.
Posted by: remoteman   2006-03-23 14:23  

#4  I wonder if Metal Storm is contemplating flechette loads.

Mike - in Iraq? By Iranians or who?
Posted by: phased array   2006-03-23 12:25  

#3  ..Metal Storm is a really good 1-shot area denial weapon but for anything else it's kind of a solution in search of a problem. Having said that, it has some applications in Iraq - most notably in stopping the human wave attacks I think are coming next.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2006-03-23 12:19  

#2  I definitely think Metal Storm stock is a buy.
Posted by: Juns Snong1252   2006-03-23 09:09  

#1  Seems like a lot of new stuff coming out. Better stay in Iraq for a few more years to test these new toys. (shhhh, we could build a drone around that gun like the A10 is built around it's cannon, and plink all night from the dark sky)
Posted by: wxjames   2006-03-23 08:59  

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