Metal Storm
Encyclopedia
Metal Storm Limited is a Brisbane
, Australia
based research and development
company that specializes in electronically initiated superposed load
weapons technology and owns the proprietary rights to the electronic ballistics technology invented by J. Mike O'Dwyer
. Metal Storm represents both the name of the company and the technology. The company maintains a subsidiary in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A.
(multiple projectiles loaded nose to tail in a single gun barrel
with propellant packed between them). The roman candle, a traditional firework design, employs the same basic concept; however, the propellant
continues to burn in the roman candle's barrel, igniting the charge behind the subsequent projectile. The process is repeated by each charge in turn, ensuring that all projectiles in the barrel are discharged sequentially (and inevitably) 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 firearm
s.
J. Mike O'Dwyer
, an Australian inventor, observed that these methods did not eliminate the problem of unintended propellant ignition
caused by hot gas
es "leaking" back up the barrel. Adam O'Fallon's original Metal Storm patent
s 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.
Subsequent designs discarded the "distorting shell sealing against the barrel" concept in favor of containing the propellant in "skirts" that form the rear part of each projectile. These skirted projectiles differ from conventional shells
and cartridge
units in that the skirts are part of the projectile, and in that the skirts are open-ended (at the rear). The rearward seal to the skirt is provided by the nose of the following projectile in the barrel. As in the previous design, the firing of a projectile results in a rearward impulse on the remaining projectiles stacked in the barrel. This results in the skirts of the remaining shells in the barrel being compressed against the following shell heads, effectively creating a seal that prevents hot gases in the barrel triggering unintended propellant ignition ("blow-back") along the length of the barrel. Metal Storm also introduced inductive electronic ignition of the propellant, effectively from outside the barrel. This overcame technical issues in maintaining physical contacts with the propellant charges, which due to the compression effectively shift slightly backwards within the barrel during firing.
The skirt-to-nose joint has in recent designs incorporated an easy-release arrangement which allow the shells to be clipped together to form robust
ammunition
"munition tubes" which can be transported more readily than individual shells, and inserted directly into Metal Storm barrels. Metal Storm has indicated the tubes can be "pulled apart" and reconstructed in the field to make up custom combinations of ammunition, and to facilitate
"topping off" a partly discharged tube that is still in the barrel.
The clustered barrel array has been further developed with the design and building of prototype
s of electronic firing control systems, allowing selective firing from any barrel in a cluster, and within each barrel the ability to control the rate of fire. This allows for responses which range from the equivalent of a volley gun
discharge (all projectiles 'at once') to using (selectively) individual munitions with increasingly serious (but non-lethal) effects and lethal munitions including high explosive and air burst shells (all from different barrels in the array).
(ST Kinetics). 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 (almost 2 complete revolutions per second). The primary role of Redback is as a lightweight vehicle or fixed asset mounted 40 mm weapon system.
) is an electronically fired, 12-gauge shotgun for use as an accessory weapon to a range of weapons such as the M4 or M16 rifle or as a stand-alone 5 shot weapon, providing a range of lethal
(buckshot and slug
) and non-lethal (blunt impact, door breaching
, and frangible
) munitions, all preloaded in 5 round "stacked projectiles
" munition tubes. Metal Storm reported the first shoulder-firing of the MAUL during tests on 24 April 2009 at its test facilities in Chantilly, Virginia
.
it was featured along with its inventor on the popular BBC
show Tomorrow's World
. As a result of this, and other publicity, there have at times been unrealistic expectations of the technology, particularly in regard to the ease with which such technology might be developed and implemented.
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:
On 15 March 2010, Metal Storm announced an order from the United States Marine Corps to provide 45 Improvised Explosive Device/Explosive Ordnance Disposal (IED/EOD) training kits, valued at US$691,610 with delivery completed within 120 days. On 9 July 2010, Metal Storm announced that it had delivered 60% of the kits.
On 20 April 2010, Metal Storm announced it had been awarded a contract worth US$1,477,860 with the US Marine Corps for the Mission Payload Module - Non-Lethal Weapon System (MPM-NLWS) program, expected to be delivered over 12 months.
As at 3 August 2010, Metal Storm have signed a contract with value of US$3,365,000 with Papua New Guinea
's Correctional Services Minister Tony Aimo to supply 500 MAULs and 50,000 rounds of non-lethal ammunition for use by correctional services officers.
trilogy by John Birmingham
. They are involved with naval close-in weapons systems, the Remington G4 combat rifle, and the VLe 24 3-barrel pistol.
The O'Dwyer VLe
, a prototype Metal Storm handgun, is featured in the John Ridley
novels What Fire Cannot Burn and Those Who Walk In Darkness
The O'Dwyer VLe is also mentioned in Jeremy Robinson's novel Pulse.
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 assault rifles were also mentioned (and used by the IG-88 bounty hunter team) in the Matthew Reilly
action novel Scarecrow
.
An episode of the TV series CSI: Miami "Guerillas in the Mist" featured the "DX-4 Vaporizer" a fictional weapon based on the Metal Storm concept.
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
based research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
company that specializes in electronically initiated superposed load
Superposed load
A superposed load or stacked charge is a method used by various muzzleloading firearms, from matchlocks to caplocks, as well as newer Metal Storm weapons, to fire multiple shots from a single barrel without reloading.-Design:...
weapons technology and owns the proprietary rights to the electronic ballistics technology invented by J. Mike O'Dwyer
J. Mike O'Dwyer
James Michael O'Dwyer is an inventor who grew up in Muttaburra, Queensland, Australia.-Biography:He only completed grade 12 education, but went on to be a manager at Woolworths Limited before his inventions were able to provide an income....
. Metal Storm represents both the name of the company and the technology. The company maintains a subsidiary in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A.
Technology
The concept of superposed loadSuperposed load
A superposed load or stacked charge is a method used by various muzzleloading firearms, from matchlocks to caplocks, as well as newer Metal Storm weapons, to fire multiple shots from a single barrel without reloading.-Design:...
(multiple projectiles loaded nose to tail in a single gun barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
with propellant packed between them). The roman candle, a traditional firework design, employs the same basic concept; however, the propellant
Propellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
continues to burn in the roman candle's barrel, igniting the charge behind the subsequent projectile. The process is repeated by each charge in turn, ensuring that all projectiles in the barrel are discharged sequentially (and inevitably) 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 firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s.
J. Mike O'Dwyer
J. Mike O'Dwyer
James Michael O'Dwyer is an inventor who grew up in Muttaburra, Queensland, Australia.-Biography:He only completed grade 12 education, but went on to be a manager at Woolworths Limited before his inventions were able to provide an income....
, an Australian inventor, observed that these methods did not eliminate the problem of unintended propellant ignition
Combustion
Combustion or burning is the sequence of exothermic chemical reactions between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat and conversion of chemical species. The release of heat can result in the production of light in the form of either glowing or a flame...
caused by hot gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
es "leaking" back up the barrel. Adam O'Fallon's original Metal Storm patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s 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
Muzzle (firearm)
The muzzle of a firearm is the end of the barrel from which the projectile will exit.Precise machining of the muzzle is crucial to accuracy, because it is the last point of contact between the barrel and the projectile...
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
Distortion
A distortion is the alteration of the original shape of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation. Distortion is usually unwanted, and often many methods are employed to minimize it in practice...
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.
Subsequent designs discarded the "distorting shell sealing against the barrel" concept in favor of containing the propellant in "skirts" that form the rear part of each projectile. These skirted projectiles differ from conventional shells
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
and cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
units in that the skirts are part of the projectile, and in that the skirts are open-ended (at the rear). The rearward seal to the skirt is provided by the nose of the following projectile in the barrel. As in the previous design, the firing of a projectile results in a rearward impulse on the remaining projectiles stacked in the barrel. This results in the skirts of the remaining shells in the barrel being compressed against the following shell heads, effectively creating a seal that prevents hot gases in the barrel triggering unintended propellant ignition ("blow-back") along the length of the barrel. Metal Storm also introduced inductive electronic ignition of the propellant, effectively from outside the barrel. This overcame technical issues in maintaining physical contacts with the propellant charges, which due to the compression effectively shift slightly backwards within the barrel during firing.
The skirt-to-nose joint has in recent designs incorporated an easy-release arrangement which allow the shells to be clipped together to form robust
Robustness
Robustness may refer to:*In biology**Robustness , the persistence of a system’s characteristic behavior under perturbations or conditions of uncertainty...
ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
"munition tubes" which can be transported more readily than individual shells, and inserted directly into Metal Storm barrels. Metal Storm has indicated the tubes can be "pulled apart" and reconstructed in the field to make up custom combinations of ammunition, and to facilitate
Facilitation
The term facilitation is broadly used to describe any activity which makes tasks for others easy. For example:* Facilitation is used in business and organizational settings to ensure the designing and running of successful meetings....
"topping off" a partly discharged tube that is still in the barrel.
Features
The distinguishing features of this technology are the absence of ammunition feed and casing ejection systems (the only moving parts are the projectiles), and the electronic ignition of the propellant charges. The relatively simple external shape of the Metal Storm barrel allows for the clustering of Metal Storm barrels into a barrel array or 'pod', or for their attachment (as single units) 'bolted on' to existing weapons mounts, including infantry weapons. The absence of a mechanical feed mechanism and the inherently compact lightweight nature of Metal Storm systems also makes them suitable for attachment to light robotic ground and aerial vehicles. The electronic ignition allows for the firing of the stacked ammunitions at 'electronic speed' without any delays caused by mechanical ammunition feed mechanisms.The clustered barrel array has been further developed with the design and building of prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s of electronic firing control systems, allowing selective firing from any barrel in a cluster, and within each barrel the ability to control the rate of fire. This allows for responses which range from the equivalent of a volley gun
Volley gun
A volley gun is a gun with several barrels for firing a number of shots, either simultaneously or in sequence. They differ from modern machine guns in that they lack automatic loading and automatic fire and are limited by the number of barrels bundled together.In practice the large ones were not...
discharge (all projectiles 'at once') to using (selectively) individual munitions with increasingly serious (but non-lethal) effects and lethal munitions including high explosive and air burst shells (all from different barrels in the array).
Redback
The Redback weapon system is being developed under a teaming agreement with Electro-Optic Systems (EOS), Metal Storm (MS) and Singapore Technologies KineticsSingapore Technologies Kinetics
ST Kinetics is the land systems and specialty vehicles arm of ST Engineering. In 2000, ST Engineering acquired the Chartered Industries of Singapore through ST Automotive, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, and the new company was named ST Kinetics...
(ST Kinetics). 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 (almost 2 complete revolutions per second). The primary role of Redback is as a lightweight vehicle or fixed asset mounted 40 mm weapon system.
GLL4042
The GLL4042 is an electronically fired, stacked-round launcher. The GLL4042 is not configured to be fired as a stand-alone weapon and requires direct connection using a military cable to a fire control unit.3GL
The 3GL is a 40 mm semi-automatic 3 shot underslung grenade launcher that can be fitted to a soldier’s assault weapon. In February 2009 the 3GL achieved certification for safe man-firing using 40 mm ammunition with non-explosive warheads. Qualification for man-firing using high explosive 40 mm ammunition is currently in progress.MAUL
The Multi-shot Accessory Under-barrel Launcher (MAULMAUL (weapon)
The Multi-shot Accessory Underbarrel Launcher, or MAUL, is an ultra-lightweight semi-automatic shotgun manufactured by Metal Storm. A range of lethal: buckshot and slug, and non-lethal: blunt impact, door breaching, and frangible munitions come preloaded in 5 round "stacked projectiles" munition...
) is an electronically fired, 12-gauge shotgun for use as an accessory weapon to a range of weapons such as the M4 or M16 rifle or as a stand-alone 5 shot weapon, providing a range of lethal
Lethal
Lethal is an adjective meaning capable of causing death.Lethal may also refer to:* Lethal , an American heavy metal band* Leigh Matthews, Australian rules footballer nicknamed "Lethal" or "Lethal" Leigh...
(buckshot and slug
Shotgun slug
A shotgun slug is a heavy lead projectile, that may have pre-cut rifling, intended for use in a shotgun and often used for hunting large game. The first effective shotgun slug was introduced by Wilhelm Brenneke in 1898, and his design remains in use today...
) and non-lethal (blunt impact, door breaching
Door breaching
Door breaching is a process used by military, police, or emergency services to force open closed and/or locked doors. A wide range of methods are available, one or more of which may be used in any given situation...
, and frangible
Frangible
A material is said to be frangible if through deformation it tends to break up into fragments, rather than deforming plastically and retaining its cohesion as a single object...
) munitions, all preloaded in 5 round "stacked projectiles
Superposed load
A superposed load or stacked charge is a method used by various muzzleloading firearms, from matchlocks to caplocks, as well as newer Metal Storm weapons, to fire multiple shots from a single barrel without reloading.-Design:...
" munition tubes. Metal Storm reported the first shoulder-firing of the MAUL during tests on 24 April 2009 at its test facilities in Chantilly, Virginia
Chantilly, Virginia
Chantilly is an unincorporated community located in western Fairfax County and southeastern Loudoun County of Northern Virginia. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census designated place , the community population was 23,039 as of the 2010 census -- down from 41,041 in 2000, due to the...
.
36 barrel prototype
Metal Storm has created a 36-barreled stacked projectile machine gun, boasting the highest rate of fire in the world. The prototype weapon demonstrated a firing rate of just over 1 million rounds per minute for a 180-round burst, with a claimed maximum rate of fire of 1.62 million RPM (i.e., 45,000 RPM for each barrel).Limitations
Awareness of Metal Storm technology was due to media coverage in relation to the 1 million rounds/minute cyclic rate of fire. In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
it was featured along with its inventor on the popular BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World
Tomorrow's World was a long-running BBC television series, showcasing new developments in the world of science and technology. First aired on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003.- Content :...
. As a result of this, and other publicity, there have at times been unrealistic expectations of the technology, particularly in regard to the ease with which such technology might be developed and implemented.
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 become a significant issue relative to the light weight of the vehicle and consequently to flight stability. However, a Dragonfly Pictures DP-5X unmanned helicopter (in free flight) has since been demonstrated firing Metal Storm 40 mm weapons.
- High barrel pressures were noted in early testing when multiple shells were 'fired' so rapidly that the second (and subsequent) shells were in motion within the barrel before the first had left the muzzle of the gun. While this resulted in very high muzzle velocities it also (appeared) to cause concern about barrel wear and barrel integrity. Metal Storm took out a patent on a barrel pressure relief valve system, but has concentrated in recent years on the development of low pressure 40 mm systems, and has in recent demonstrations deployed a microchip at the barrel muzzle which detects the passage of each projectile and locks the firing mechanism (of each subsequent shell) until the first shell has cleared the muzzle. This still allows for much higher rates of fire than conventional weapons, but appears to guard against unintended high pressure situations in the barrels.
Foreign interest
In 2000 Chinese agents approached Michael O'Dwyer, inventor of the Metal Storm 'super gun' technology, and offered him US$100M to go to China to develop the technology. O'Dwyer refused and informed the Australian government of the approach. Since then the Chinese have developed the technology independently. The China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) has details of a variety of Metal Storm-related research and development activity in China, including Close-In Weapons Systems for ships, and Hyper-velocity Ballistic Missile Interception. The Chinese refer to their development efforts as 'Metal Storm' technology, with much of the research effort funded by the Central Government and conducted at Nanjing University.Sales contracts
On 6 November 2009, Metal Storm announced it had received an order from Defence Research and Development Canada for three MAUL 12 gauge Multi-shot Accessory Under-barrel Launchers together with ammunition.On 15 March 2010, Metal Storm announced an order from the United States Marine Corps to provide 45 Improvised Explosive Device/Explosive Ordnance Disposal (IED/EOD) training kits, valued at US$691,610 with delivery completed within 120 days. On 9 July 2010, Metal Storm announced that it had delivered 60% of the kits.
On 20 April 2010, Metal Storm announced it had been awarded a contract worth US$1,477,860 with the US Marine Corps for the Mission Payload Module - Non-Lethal Weapon System (MPM-NLWS) program, expected to be delivered over 12 months.
As at 3 August 2010, Metal Storm have signed a contract with value of US$3,365,000 with Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
's Correctional Services Minister Tony Aimo to supply 500 MAULs and 50,000 rounds of non-lethal ammunition for use by correctional services officers.
Directors
- Terence James O'Dwyer, Director since 30 March 1998, Chairman since September 2005
- Lee John Finniear, PhD: Managing Director since 24 May 2007 & CEO since 19 February 2007
- John R. Nicholls, Director since 1 September 2006
- Trevor William Tappenden, Director since 1 July 2008
- William Henkel, Director since 2 November 2010
Total personnel
In a Form 20-F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated 30 June 2008, Metal Storm reported that it employed 30 staff as of 31 December 2007.Patents
- Metal Storm Patents at the European Patent Office
- Metal Storm Patents at the US Patent Office
- Metal Storm Patents at the Australian Patent Office
Patent holders
- J. Michael O'Dwyer
- John Ramon Bambach
- Sean Patrick O'Dwyer (J. Michael O'Dwyer's son)
In popular culture
Metal Storm is mentioned in the alternate-history Axis of TimeAxis of Time
The Axis of Time trilogy is an alternate history series of novels written by Australian journalist and author John Birmingham, from Macmillan Publishing.-Plot:...
trilogy by John Birmingham
John Birmingham
John Birmingham is an Australian author. Birmingham was born in Liverpool, England and migrated to Australia with his parents in 1970.-Early life and career:...
. They are involved with naval close-in weapons systems, the Remington G4 combat rifle, and the VLe 24 3-barrel pistol.
The O'Dwyer VLe
O'Dwyer VLe
The O'Dwyer VLe is an experimental handgun created by Australian inventor J. Mike O'Dwyer. It is revolutionary in that it uses bullets stacked in the barrel, instead of a box magazine, and fires them with electricity, rather than a firing pin. This enables it to use caseless ammunition to cut down...
, a prototype Metal Storm handgun, is featured in the John Ridley
John Ridley
John Ridley is an American film director, actor, and writer.Ridley got his start as a stand-up comedian. He eventually was hired as a writer for sitcoms such as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Martin...
novels What Fire Cannot Burn and Those Who Walk In Darkness
The O'Dwyer VLe is also mentioned in Jeremy Robinson's novel Pulse.
Metal Storm weapons mounted on the chassis of an M1A1 Abrams
M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
tank are featured in When the Devil Dances and Hell's Faire books by John Ringo
John Ringo
John Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
as stand-alone weapons. They are also installed on the upper deck of the SheVa Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled artillery vehicles are combat vehicles armed with artillery. Within the term are covered self-propelled guns and rocket artillery...
vehicle 'BunBun' as an improvised secondary weapons system.
Metal Storm assault rifles were also mentioned (and used by the IG-88 bounty hunter team) in the Matthew Reilly
Matthew Reilly
Matthew John Reilly is an Australian action thriller writer. His novels are noted for their fast pace, twisting plots and intense action.- Biography :...
action novel Scarecrow
Scarecrow (novel)
Scarecrow is the fifth Matthew Reilly novel, and the third to feature the main character Captain Shane Schofield, USMC. It was released in 2003.-Plot summary:As well as Schofield, Mother, Gant, and Book II all return from previous Schofield adventures....
.
An episode of the TV series CSI: Miami "Guerillas in the Mist" featured the "DX-4 Vaporizer" a fictional weapon based on the Metal Storm concept.
See also
- List of modern armament manufacturers
- List of multiple barrel firearms
- Volley Firing Infantry WeaponVolley Firing Infantry WeaponThe Volley Firing Infantry Weapon was a rifle concept of French origin designed by Pierre Jampy. The weapon was gas operated, and was fed by clips holding 3 rounds. The VFIW had the capability of firing on both semi and full automatic and adjustable spread....
- Nordenfelt gunNordenfelt gunThe Nordenfelt Gun was a multiple barrel machine gun that had a row of up to twelve barrels. It was fired by pulling a lever back and forth. It was produced in a number of different calibres from rifle up to 25 mm...
- Close-in weapon systemClose-in weapon systemA close-in weapon system , often pronounced sea-whiz, is a naval shipboard point-defense weapon for detecting and destroying at short range incoming anti-ship missiles and enemy aircraft which have penetrated the outer defenses....
External links
- Metal Storm Limited Share Price Information
- Metal Storm live firing in US
- Transcript of interview with Mike O'Dwyer and others in 2000 (ABCAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8hlj4EbdsE Metal Storm 36 barrel prototype test firing.
- MAUL and 3GL on Defense-update
- http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-HLYZ200706018.htm China's CIWS Research.