GROUND COMBAT +
AIR COMBAT +
NAVAL OPERATIONS +
SPECIAL OPERATIONS +
HUMAN FACTORS +
SPECIAL WEAPONS +
WARFARE BY THE NUMBERS +
LOGISTICS +
TOOLS +
|
Latest
News |
Most
Read |
Hot
Topics |
|
Bushmaster Gets Smart Shell
March 16,
2008: An automatic, laser controlled, airburst shell has been developed for the
Mk44 30mm Bushmaster automatic cannon. The basic Mk44 weighs 344 pounds and
fires at a rate of 200 rounds per minute (up to 4 per second). The 30mm
Bushmaster has 160 rounds available, before needing a reload. That means the
gunner has 40-50 seconds worth of ammo. Each 30mm round weighs about 25 ounces
(depending on type.) Explosive
anti-personnel rounds are the most common round used in the Mk44. The new airburst
option uses a dual loading system, so the gunner need only flip a switch to
select the airburst ammo, or other ammo (either armor piercing, or "dumb"
explosive shells). The smart shells require the gunner to use the laser range
finder, built into the fire control system, to select the range at which the
smart shells will explode. So the drill is, select ammo, use laser to select
range of detonation, then fire (either single shells or a burst of automatic
fire.) The laser guided shells can penetrate up to 8 inches of concrete, and
still detonate on the other side. You can fire a few rounds through a window,
where the shells will explode, providing the same effect as throwing a grenade
into room. Same deal with enemy troops taking cover in a trench or behind any
solid object (rocks, or a mound of dirt). The new airburst round has been
undergoing field tests for over a year, and the U.S. Army and Marine Corps are
planning to install it in their new armored vehicles. The U.S. Air Force will
upgrade the Mk44 cannon they are already installing in their AC-130 gunships.
|
|
|
|
