Sponsored by Control Solutions LLC.
http://www.controls.com/product-cat/systems/
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02 Aug 17. GA-EMS’ medium range multi-mission railgun to begin testing. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has completed its final assembly and factory acceptance test on its new 10MJ medium range multi-mission railgun system.
Designed to provide multi-mission, multi-domain capabilities for ship, land and mobile platforms, the railgun will now undergo testing at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, US.
GA-EMS Missile Defense and Space Systems vice-president Nick Bucci said: “The 10MJ railgun system has our third-generation railgun launcher, and includes our fifth-generation pulsed power system and a new mounting system that allows the launcher to elevate and train for better targeting.
“This represents a leap forward in advancing railgun technologies, offering reduced size and weight for the launcher, twice the energy density in a significantly reduced pulsed power footprint, and more capable hypersonic projectiles.
“We’ll continue to develop and mature these technologies, perform risk reduction, and test under real-world conditions to ultimately deliver a more capable, effective, and cost-efficient solution to counter future threats.”
The multi-mission medium range railgun weapon system includes a high-energy pulsed power container (HEPPC), a 10MJ launcher, hypersonic hybrid missiles, and fire control technologies.
The HEPPC is claimed to use next-generation railgun capacitors and a new approach to packaging and energy distribution, which is expected to reduce the number of pulsed power containers required to launch guided projectiles or hybrid missiles. The HEPPC also provides additional capabilities to test GA-EMS hypersonic projectiles, which contain a guidance control unit with control software and a complex control actuation system, according to the company. GA-EMS successfully conducted projectile component testing earlier this year. The testing demonstrated a continuous two-way data link between in-flight projectiles and the ground station. (Source: army-technology.com)
02 Aug 17. Laser In Front, Grunts In Back: Boeing Offers Anti-Aircraft Vehicles. Need to shoot down Daesh drones or Russian gunships? Boeing is offering the Army an array of ways to do it, from laser-armed 8×8 Strykers to missile-launching MATV trucks and tracked Bradleys.
This September, the Army plans a “shoot off” of competing anti-aircraft systems as it tries to rebuild battlefield air defenses it largely disbanded since 9/11. Boeing’s not the only contender, but it’s been the most aggressive in showing its wares. A new anti-aircraft Stryker will debut at next week’s Space & Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Ala., but that’s just one of several designs they’re prototyping. The aerospace giant has worked with makers of military vehicles – Oshkosh for the MATV, General Dynamics for Stryker, BAE for Bradley — to integrate its weapons systems on their war machines in ways that give the Army multiple options.
What the Army wants is Maneuver SHORAD: Short-Range Air Defense systems that can keep up with frontline combat units and survive in combat, unlike Patriot and THAAD batteries, which have longer range but are heavier and are not armored. It particularly wants Maneuver SHORAD it can afford, so installing existing weapons on existing vehicles is a lot more attractive than developing silver bullets from scratch. And, finally, the Army would love vehicles that can both carry SHORAD systems and still fulfill other roles, like troop transport.
Happily for the Army, Boeing and other companies have made laser weapons much more compact. You still need a dedicated vehicle for a 50- to 300-kilowatt weapon suitable for downing helicopters, airplanes, or (at the high end) cruise missiles, but 2- to 5-kW weapons with proven drone-killing capability can fit in existing combat vehic