Metal Storm
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Turkish novel whose title translates to "Metal Storm", see Metal fırtına.
- "Metalstorm" redirects here. For the 1980s science fiction movie, see Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn.
| Metal Storm Limited | |
 |
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| Type | Public (ASX: MST) (NASDAQ: MTSX) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Brisbane, Australia |
| Key people | Terence James O'Dwyer, Chairman |
| Industry | Defense |
| Website | http://www.metalstorm.com |
Metal Storm Limited is a research and development company that specialises in electronically initiated stacked projectile weapons technology. Metal Storm is both the name of the company and the technology.
The company is based in Brisbane, Australia with a subsidiary in Washington DC, U.S.A. Metal Storm owns the proprietary rights to the electronic ballistics technology invented by J. Mike O'Dwyer.
Contents |
[edit] Technology
The concept of stacked projectiles (multiple projectiles loaded nose to tail in a single gun barrel with propellant packed between them) predates Metal Storm. Roman Candles, a traditional firework design, employ the same concept. However, in the case of Roman Candles the propellant which propels the leading projectile from the barrel continues to burn in the barrel, igniting the charges behind each subsequent projectile in turn, ensuring that all projectiles in the barrel are discharged sequentially (and inevitably) following from the single ignition. Various methods of separately firing each propellant package behind stacked projectiles have been proposed which would allow a 'single shot' capability more suitable to firearms.[1]
Mike O'Dwyer, an Australian inventor, observed that these methods did not eliminate the problem of unintended propellant ignition caused by hot gases 'leaking' back up the barrel. Mike O'Dwyer's original Metal Storm patents demonstrated a method whereby projectiles placed in series along the length of a barrel could be fired sequentially and selectively without the danger associated with unintended propellant ignition.
In the original Metal Storm patents the propellant immediately behind the projectile closest to the muzzle of the gun barrel was ignited by an electronically fired primer, the projectile was set in motion, and at the same time a reactive force acted on the remaining stacked projectiles in the barrel, pushing them backwards. By design, the remaining projectiles would distort under this load, expanding radially and sealing against the gun barrel wall. This created a seal which prevented the hot propellant gases (expanding behind the lead projectile) prematurely igniting the remaining propellant charges in the barrel (blow-back). As each of these propellant charges was selectively (electronically) ignited, the force 'unlocked' the projectile in front and propelled it down the gun barrel, and reinforced the radial expansion (and hence the seal) between the projectiles remaining in the barrel and the barrel wall.
The stacked projectile and electronic ignition technology eliminated the need for cartridges (shell casings), and for essentially all of the moving parts associated with traditional guns. With Metal Storm, the barrel is the weapon.
Sealing subsequent propellant volumes from unintended ignition is largely Metal Storm's enabling technology for stacked projectile weapon systems. Over the years Metal Storm has patented a wide range of such sealing technologies, each giving rise to significant advancements and opening up new possibilities for the application of Metal Storm's unique technology. Other significant patented advancements have been in the fields of ignition and reload. Metal Storm's current 40mm technology relies on 'internal sealing' (essentially a high pressure one way valve) to seal the propellant inside the projectile itself rather than relying on sealing between projectiles and the bore or between surfaces of adjacent projectiles and utilizes 'inductive ignition' and 'projectile stick reload.' Inductive ignition is the process of igniting primers inside projectiles without using contacts of any kind but rather via magnetic field coupling. This means that there are no electrical contacts to wear or fail and that the system is not effected by water or other contaminants. Projectile stick reload is essentially reloading projectiles 'clipped' together as a 'stick.' Once projectiles are clipped together they can only be unclipped with the right application of mechanical advantage. In this fashion projectile cartridges can be transported as sticks in thin plastic containers and fast reloaded a stick/barrel at a time. Projectile sticks also allow for individual reload in the sense that if two projectiles for example are fired from a particular barrel and a user wishes to reload that barrel, the projectile stick can be removed, two projectiles clipped back into it and the projectile stick reinserted into the barrel/receiver.
[edit] Features
The distinguishing features of this technology are the absence of ammunition feed and casing ejection systems (Metal Storm systems are essentially solid-state - 'the only moving parts are the projectiles'), and the electronic ignition of the propellant charges. The relatively simple external shape of the Metal Storm barrels allows for the clustering of Metal Storm barrels into a barrel array or 'pod' with unprecedented firepower, or for their attachment to existing weapons and to a range of vehicles including robotic vehicles. The absence of a mechanical feed mechanism and the inherently compact lightweight nature of Metal Storm systems also makes them suitable for very light aerial vehicles. The electronic ignition allows for the firing of the stacked munitions at 'electronic speed' without any delays caused by mechanical ammunition feed mechanisms. The electronic firing also allows tighter integration with electronic targeting systems and with (in the case of hand guns) electronic grip recognition technology.
Metal Storm technology's major advantages are:
1. Massive firepower through the ganging of many generic/modular barrels together to form a pod. 2. Integration with lightweight individual combat weapons or unmanned aerial and ground vehicles to the inherently lightweight, compact nature of the technology combined with its high firepower-to-weight ratios.
- Several proposed designs, and prototypes have clustered together a number of metal storm gun tubes in box-like arrays. In this configuration each gun tube is loaded with stacked projectiles, and the firing of each of these projectiles is under separate electronic control. Metal Storm has demonstrated integrated electronic fire control systems in conjunction with prototype arrays. The arrays are effectively multi-barrel weapons, similar to volley guns, but with individually selectable fire control, and with the capacity of 3 to 6 (or more depending on how many projectiles are in the stack in each tube) shots per tube. These designs have been proposed for use as close in defense for fixed assets, vehicles and ship defense, and as an offensive weapon when mounted on aircraft or unmanned vehicles (ground or air based).
- Designs for the arrays have included options where the gun tubes at the edges of the array are angled outwards from the main axis so that a gun tube array mounted on a tracking platform would have the potential to engage a target before the bulk of the centrally located gun tubes reached the optimal aiming position. This feature, combined with the 'always loaded' nature of the technology, and the potential to produce a very high density (low distance of separation) of projectiles 'in the air' is put forward by the company as an advantage for this technology in close-in weapons support roles.
- Other gun tube array designs have incorporated variable caliber gun tubes with mixed payloads; such as a variety of non-lethal and lethal munitions allowing a selectable and/or escalating response. This design is intended to particularly meet the requirements of urban insurgent warfare where forces normally equipped with lethal force weapons may be dealing with civilian crowds. The U.S. Department of Defense is currently examining the use of other non-lethal crowd control technologies such as microwaves (to produce subcutaneous heating), aural projection (to cause discomfort or disorientation), and 'dazzling' (using lasers to produce temporary blindness).
[edit] Products
Metal Storm technology is not currently deployed. Potential applications, reflecting patent applications, company statements, and prototypes under development include area denial (replacing fixed minefields); minefield destruction; close-in weapons support for ground vehicles, airships and ships; anti-torpedo defense; combined gun/grenade launcher for infantry - the Advanced Individual Combat Weapon (AICW); unmanned ground vehicle offensive capability; unmanned aircraft (fixed and rotary wing) offensive capability; and 9mm handguns incorporating grip recognition. The company has, since 2004, concentrated with greater focus on development of 40mm systems as this represents the fastest path to a commercial, saleable solution. Once this product line is completed it is expected that many more products in a range of calibres and formats will flow from the generic nature of these products.
The 3GL and RedbackTM programs are expected to deliver Metal Storm's first fielded products in 2008.
3GL:
The 3GL weapon system is also being developed under a teaming agreement with Electro-Optic Systems (EOS), Metal Storm (MS) and Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics). The 3GL is a 3 shot under barrel grenade launcher intended to replace the M203 under barrel grenade launcher. The 3GL has several advantages over the M203:
- The 3GL has 3 shots instead of 1. A user however can carry the weapon with only one or two rounds in the weapon if desired.
- The 3GL is semiautomatic (fires every time you pull the trigger) and provides the user with 3 shots in order that a user can ‘walk rounds onto the target.’ If a user has only one shot (such as with an M203) each time they fire they must lower the weapon, open the chamber, retrieve a grenade from their webbing, insert the grenade into the weapon, close the weapon, raise the weapon and enter firing position, aim the weapon and fire. A 3GL user however, can fire a shot, see where it lands whilst still aiming the weapon, adjust for fall of shot and fire again (and if need be adjust for fall of shot and fire again).
- The 3GL is able to be easily mounted to the bulk of military rifles currently in use (whilst maintaining existing mounting points such as a picatinny rail) including the M16, AK47, SAR21 and Steyr. The 3GL operates in similar fashion to the M203 and will be familiar to users of the M203.
- The 3GL can be used as a stand alone weapon with the addition of a collapsible stock.
- The 3GL is easily transferable between rifle and stand alone configurations in the field.
- The 3GL fits in with current operational doctrine.
- The 3GL has a much increased firepower to weight ratio.
- Enhanced operational capability. The 3GL provides increased firepower for both individuals and sections. The 3GL therefore yields previously unavailable in-the-field engagement options. For example if each member of a section is equipped with a 3GL a section has a 30 grenade firepower capacity without reload. This is all whilst each individual has the rifle in firing position at all times. This is advantageous in comparison to the use of dedicated grenade launchers requiring the user to carry two weapons (a rifle and a grenade launcher) and ‘swap’ the weapon in hand with the weapon being carried over-the-shoulder depending upon the engagement.
- Individually reloadable. Load, unload and ‘top up’ – all individually. A user can load 1, 2 or 3 rounds. If a user has 3 rounds loaded and only fires one before reload is desired (in a lull period in an engagement for example), the 3GL can be reloaded by sliding the barrel forward and inserting another round into the breech. The 3GL is designed to reload in the same fashion as the M203 such that users of the M203 will find using the 3GL ‘familiar.’
- Metal Storm 40mm rounds are the same size as a conventional 40mm round and shell casing assembly and will fit in webbing pouches designed for conventional 40mm munitions. This means all currently in use webbing, backpacks etc can be used to house 3GL ammunition where conventional ammunition was once stored.
RedbackTM:
The RedbackTM weapon system is being developed under a teaming agreement with Electro-Optic Systems (EOS), Metal Storm (MS) and Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics). A fully integrated prototype (being that MS and EOS electronics were fully integrated and the weapon could track and slew) has been successfully test fired with dummy ammunition. The next step is to fire the weapon with high explosive, enhanced blast high explosive and air burst high explosive ammunition. These munitions have already been successfully test fired from a static (non slewing) mount in February 2006.
The Redback™ is a 4 barrel, 16 shot remotely operated weapon system that can automatically track targets and slew at speeds of up to 700 degrees/second (2 complete revolutions per second).
The Redback™ can utilize high explosive, enhanced blast, and air bursting munitions all of which have been successfully test fired as well as a suite of less lethal munitions such as gas, smoke, sponge, CS (capsicum) and illumination.
The primary role of Redback™ is as a lightweight vehicle or fixed asset mounted 40mm weapon system which is operated remotely by a protected operator that affords maximum defense against attack from individual and squad level weapons. It has been designed to be capable of further enhancement to undertake autonomous engagement and intercept of multiple Rocket propelled Grenades (RPGs). This is available through a combination of the sophisticated target tracking technology and fast slew rate of the mount provided by Metal Storm teaming partner Electro-Optical Systems (EOS), a custom fixed distance air burst munition (successfully test fired in February 2006) provided by Metal Storm teaming partner Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK) and Metal Storm stacked projectile weapons technology.
The secondary role of the Redback™ is variable application of force. The Redback™, like all Metal Storm systems, is variable in its application of force in a fashion that conventional mechanical weapon systems cannot match. It can fire a single round upon a single target or saturate an area with 16 high explosive grenades in a small fraction of a second. The saturation capability can be used in order to protect a convoy or for area denial for example. The Redback™ reloads with a Metal Storm ‘projectile cartridge’ which is essentially a stick of projectiles ‘clipped’ nose to tail and onto a quick release breech plug at its end to engage the rearward breech of the weapon. This enables fast reload (4 rounds and a barrel at a time) whilst allowing for top-up of half spent barrels. A half spent projectile cartridge can be removed from a barrel and ‘topped up’ by clipping individual rounds onto the stick. Redback™ is also variable in its application of force in that it can deliver a variety of different 40mm munitions. The Redback™, also like all Metal Storm systems is variable in its application of force in that it can fire a suite of different munitions from the same pod.
- Successfully tested munitions to date include 9mm kinetic, 15.7mm kinetic, 50 cal high pressure kinetic (72,000PSI), 40mm high explosive, 40mm enhanced blast high explosive, 40mm air burst and several 40mm less-than-lethal variants and 60mm mortar (inert).
[edit] Limitations
Widespread public awareness of Metal Storm technology was due to media coverage in relation to the theoretical 1 million rounds/minute rate of fire. In the United Kingdom it was featured along with its inventor on the popular BBC show Tomorrow's World.
Some limitations with the technology became apparent during the late 1990s as development continued. Much of the detail of the technology remains classified but it is understood that:
- While the simplified mechanics and relative light weight of Metal Storm gun/barrel array suggested that they might have advantages when deployed on light unmanned aerial vehicles, it was anticipated that recoil management may becomes a significant issue relative to the light weight of the vehicle and consequently to flight stability. A Piasecki DP-5X unmanned helicopter has since been successfully demonstrated firing Metal Storm 40mm weapons which does not suffer any of the anticipated potential recoil problems in this regard.
- Manual, automatic and semi-automatic reloading concepts exist, incorporating breech and muzzle loading into permanent barrels, throw-away barrels (and barrel arrays), a belt-fed stacked-cartridge gun patent, and a patented breechless continuous feed gun with injected propellant. With the exception of the belt-fed and the breechless gun patents, all of Metal Storm's gun concepts are limited to bursts of no more than the number of bullets or shells pre-loaded into the barrel(s). That said, a barrel array might contain more shells in fact than a traditional 'clip' or 'belt.' Metal Storm, in general, due to its inherently compact, lightweight nature has a much increased firepower to weight ratio in comparison to conventional weaponry.
[edit] Financials and funding
The company was founded in 1994, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 1999 and on the Nasdaq in 2001. The company has over 30 worldwide patents covering aspects of ballistics technology.
Metal Storm raised capital as a public company when it listed on the ASX. Additional funding has been received from the Australian and USA Governments who are keen to control access to the technology (see International Interest below). Australia has invested more than $10 million and USA more than $20 million.[2]
The Company is currently in the process of preparing two initial products for commercialisation; the Red Back automated turret system, and a 40 mm grenade launcher for use by infantry.
[edit] Key personnel
[edit] Directors:
- Terence James O'Dwyer, since 1998, Interim Chairman May 2004-September 2005, Chairman since September 2005
- James Michael Crunk, since September 2005
- Dr Peter Jonson, since February 2006
- John Nicholls, since September 2006
[edit] Ex-directors:
- Brigadier Michael Harris, Australian Army (retired), 1994-2000
- J. Brett Heading, Chairman, 1988-March 2003
- Brigadier Peter Pursey AM, Australian Army (retired), 1994-March 2003
- Kevin Dart, 1994-October 2003
- Lt General Daniel Christman, US Army (retired), June 2002-June 2004
- Admiral William Owens, US Navy (retired), 2000-May 2004, Chairman of the Board, November 2001-May 2004
- Charles A. Vehlow, CEO, March 2003-December 2004
- J. Dennis Heipt, October 2004-February 2005
- J. Michael O'Dwyer, Founder, Managing Director, CEO, Executive Director, Director of Scientific Innovation, Principal Technical Adviser (retired February 2005)
- David A. Smith, CEO, February 2005-May 2006
- Dr Daniel Lewis Alspach, August 2003-July 2006
- General Wayne Allan Downing, US Army (retired), October 1999-October 2001, Deputy Chairman, October 2002-November 2006
- Bruce Sinclair McComish, October 2004-March 8, 2007
[edit] Other key personnel:
- Dr Lee J. Finniear: CEO (appointed February 19, 2007)
- James D MacDonald: CFO, Company Secretary (resigned effective April 13, 2007)
- Peter Pursey AM: Program Development Manager
- Arthur David Schatz: Vice President - Business Development
- Peter Faulkner: Senior Vice-President – Director of U.S. Operations
[edit] Patents
[edit] Patent holders:
- J. Michael O'Dwyer
- Dr Vinod Puri
- John Ramon Bambach
- Sean Patrick O'Dwyer (J. Michael O'Dwyer's son)
[edit] International Interest
In October 2006, the Australian media[2] and New Zealand media[citation needed] reported that Mike O'Dwyer had rejected a US$100 million offer by the Chinese People's Liberation Army to go and live in China, where he would have provided all of his knowledge, and that there had been other attempts to acquire the technology. Under Australian law, it would have been illegal for Metal Storm to sell the technology to the Chinese military, but it would not have been illegal for O'Dwyer to have gone to China to work for them. US and Australian Government military sources have stated that there are arrangements in place to prevent knowledge from being transferred.[citation needed]
[edit] In popular culture
- Metal Storm plays an important role in the alternate-history novels of the Axis of Time trilogy by John Birmingham, as an important element in future naval close-in weapons systems and also in a combat rifle, the Remington G4.
- The O'Dwyer VLe,[3] a prototype Metal Storm handgun, is featured in the John Ridley novels What Fire Cannot Burn and Those Who Walk In Darkness
- Metal Storm weapons mounted on the chassis of an M1A1 Abrams tank are featured in When the Devil Dances and Hell's Faire books by John Ringo as stand-alone weapons. They are also installed on the upper deck of the SheVa Self-propelled artillery vehicle 'BunBun' as an improvised secondary weapons system.
- Metal Storm weapons were also mentioned (and used by the bad guys) in the Matthew Reilly action novel "Scarecrow".
[edit] References
- ^ for example Scott in 1902 and Broyles in 1974
- ^ a b Chinese whispers and the Aussie killing machine, Sunday Nine MSN, October 1, 2006
- ^ O'Dwyer VLe
[edit] See also
- List of modern armament manufacturers
- List of modern weapons
- Volley Gun
- Meroka Machine Gun
- Machine Gun
- Close-in weapon system
