DoD media release: NEW WARSHIP PERTH DELIVERED TO AUSTRALIA?S NAVY

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Aussie Digger RE:Oh please - a C I W S 6/20/2006 9:11:40 AM

One of the intended uses that it already has been trialled for is as a remote weapon station (land based) for point defence. I'm pretty sure this trial was conducted in South Australia last year. Is this what you referred to GF??? In relation to the ANZAC class, the Harpoon II integration is already underway with HMAS Warramunga the lead ship for this. I believe Arunta may also be fitted with Harpy II, but I'm not sure. 4x ANZAC frigates have also been fitted with ESSM with the remainder to be fitted over the next couple of years. The Vampire IRST contract was signed last year and will provide systems for each frigate, plus each FFG. The CEA-FAR 3D Phased Array radar and CEA-MOUNT Continuous Illuminating Wave Radar (for weapons control) was also signed last year. The 3D radar will I suspect take up to 5-7 years to complete, because a whole new mast has to be designed and built and installed. The CEA-MOUNT and IRST will probably be installed quite a bit sooner and offer an increased capability over existing systems. Similar systems have already been trialled aboard HMAS Arunta, which led to the decision. Perhaps AMPTE10, or "the Puss" can update us on these things???

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gf0012-aust RE:Oh please - a C I W S 6/20/2006 9:22:16 AM

"I'm pretty sure this trial was conducted in South Australia last year. Is this what you referred to GF???" yes. I'd like to see it hooked up to a system like "Trophy" as well. "The CEA-FAR 3D Phased Array radar and CEA-MOUNT Continuous Illuminating Wave Radar (for weapons control)" elements of this are also being tested by the yanks near a mission sensitive site in CONUS.

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Aussie Digger RE:Oh please - a C I W S 6/20/2006 9:27:41 AM

The only problem with using it for a Trophy type system is the reloading function. To be of significant tactical benefit it needs to be useful multiple times. As your armour PDF mentioned, vehicles in Iraq were often hit by multiple RPG warheads, repelling them because of their excellent passive armour. From what I've seen of Metalstorm, reloading seems to be it's primary weakness...

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Nichevo RE:Oh please - a personal combat weapon? 6/20/2006 10:34:26 AM

I can't quite follow this - what size and weight would a MetalStorm rifle have? Doesn't seem to offer much advantage for single fire.

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gf0012-aust RE:Oh please - a personal combat weapon? 6/20/2006 4:49:21 PM

"what size and weight would a MetalStorm rifle have?" physically dimensionally similar to existing bullpup but weight is still classified at present. "Doesn't seem to offer much advantage for single fire." "rate and weight" of volume of fire in a shortened timeframe is far superior. ie weight of suppressive firepower achieved much sooner in a given time frame.

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Nichevo RE:Oh please - a personal combat weapon? 6/20/2006 7:42:03 PM

I suppose then it would be one or two ~20" barrels stuffed up with a few dozen rounds each? Hm. Sounds like an adjunct to the rifle, not a substitute. Perhaps an MG sub, I guess I could see that. No, still trying to visualize. Maybe you should set it up like a claymore...

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gf0012-aust RE:Oh please - a personal combat weapon? 6/20/2006 7:55:34 PM

"I suppose then it would be one or two ~20" barrels stuffed up with a few dozen rounds each? Hm." No, its a normal over and under config - with the grenade launcher being multiple round - you could literally get volume grenade fire on target at 50-80 times faster than a traditional "over and under" "Sounds like an adjunct to the rifle, not a substitute." no, it will be the standard replacement weapon. a sniper rifle is being looked at and is a separate issue. "Maybe you should set it up like a claymore... " already dealt with in the perimeter defence model.

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SteelGear RE:Oh please - a personal combat weapon? 6/20/2006 8:16:14 PM

--No, its a normal over and under config - with the grenade launcher being multiple round - you could literally get volume grenade fire on target at 50-80 times faster than a traditional "over and under"-- They have a prototype that already works to that effect as part of the AICW Click here for the article... --------------------- Metal Storm Demos Advanced Individual Combat Weapon (AICW) Prototype The AICW is an integrated weapon concept which combines a standard 5.56mm Steyr assault rifle and a Metal Storm 40mm grenade launcher in a single unit with a common trigger, laser sight and control system that operates both the 5.56mm and the 40mm barrels. The benched test firing demonstrated the AICW?s ability to... switch between 5.56mm and 40mm barrels instantly and without reloading. The 40mm barrel incorporates the Metal Storm electronically initiated ?stacked munitions? system and can fire three rounds before re-loading is required. The project was designed to evaluate the possible technologies available for the next generation of individual combat weapons, with emphasis on increasing the lethality of the weapon thereby enhancing the soldier?s capability and survivability. Conventional 40mm grenade launching systems used with combat weapons are fitted as an add-on component with separate aiming and trigger devices and can only fire single rounds before reloading. The perceived advantage of the AICW concept is that the grenade launcher capability is fully integrated into the one combat weapon, and as it utilises Metal Storm technology, it can carry up to three rounds in the barrel ready to fire using the integrated common operating systems. The trial firings engaged targets at 100, 200 and 300m, each with three 40mm projectiles, fired at a nominal velocity of 95m/s. In addition, the target at 300m was engaged with the standard 5.56mm rounds that are currently in service. The firings demonstrated the capability of engaging consistently a target the size of a window or doorway at 100m. New technology associated with recoil mitigation, sighting systems, and electronic fire control was also demonstrated. Metal Storm's Chief Executive Officer, Mr David Smith said ?The ability to fire multiple 40mm shots without reloading, from an individual combat weapon, we believe will provide a major capability enhancement compared to existing individual combat weapons. ?There has been significant international effort placed on trying to develop a fully integrated individual combat weapon which provides for a 5.56 mm rifle and a grenade launcher system with greater range, improved fire control and at the right weight. AICW is well along the path to achieving all these capabilities. ?Our objective now is to build on the success of the AICW Capability Demonstrator project through an industry funded effort to further refine and ultimately commercialise the concept. The next generation will incorporate the latest developments in Metal Storm technology (which has advanced since the AICW program began). Combined with the current development of High Explosive rounds, we are now very close to being able to deliver a much more advanced individual combat weapon that includes all the required capabilities at an appropriate weight level.? David Smith stated.

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Nichevo RE:Ohhhhhh I see- a personal combat weapon? 6/20/2006 10:57:26 PM

Nothing to do with the rifle part at all. Right, carry on. Well...Gosh, you Aussies are so contentious lately I scarcely like to bother you...but do you really want to spray-and-pray with grenades, as opposed to sighting them one at a time? No doubt, no doubt it has its uses, e.g., if you want a squad to look like a company at night. But it sure seems you would just use up your ammo faster. OTOH, I assume they MAY be fired one at a time? In which case it seems a nice option. And if a loaded barrel could just be swapped out for a new one, I guess reloads are quick enough. If compared to the OICW concept, how can these rounds be programmed? Wirelessly?

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gf0012-aust RE:Ohhhhhh I see- a personal combat weapon? 6/20/2006 11:10:31 PM

"but do you really want to spray-and-pray with grenades, as opposed to sighting them one at a time?" how does having greater organic firepower translate to "spray and wipe"? "No doubt, no doubt it has its uses, e.g., if you want a squad to look like a company at night. But it sure seems you would just use up your ammo faster. " only if your forces aren't disciplined. if you look through the histgory of aust troopers you don't come across accounts of them indulging in spray and wipe contacts. anyone behaving like a windscreen wiper would get their arse kicked. that kind of attitude would be savagely removed. "OTOH, I assume they MAY be fired one at a time? In which case it seems a nice option." metalstorm has always been select fire. in the multibarreled weapons its also select chamber. ie different round can be loaded into different barrels and then selected as part of a firing sequence. "And if a loaded barrel could just be swapped out for a new one, I guess reloads are quick enough. If compared to the OICW concept, how can these rounds be programmed? Wirelessly? " on a metalstorm multi-barreled weapon it can be pad selected. the AICW is not a "MS multi", its a combination weapon, so round variance is operator defined. the point defence weapon is slaved to the sensor system - that could be hard wired or whatever else is available in the field. it is effect, a registered weapon.

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