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It was recently announce by Science Applications
International Corporation (SAIC) that they believe they have
broken one of the longest-standing military records on the books
with the development of the Naval Surface Weapons Center's Advanced
Modular Gun Demonstrator (AMGD).
The 5-inch naval gun fired shots as far as 86 miles, at altitudes
of 155,000 feet and pressures of over 100,000 psi while mounted
on its custom-built launch pad during testing at NASA's Wallops
Island Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. The
cannon assembly, which is almost 46 feet long, incorporates multiple
separable large volume chambers and a segmented barrel. Major
elements of the gun system were manufactured in the Albany/Pittsfield
area were trucked down to the Virginia for final assembly.
The gun, which was designed by the Applied Ordnance Technology
(AOT) Division of SAIC and the APTI Division of Folsom Technologies
International of East Greenbush, NY, is being developed to provide
the U.S. military with a system to advance gun, projectile and
ammunition technology. It is serving in several critical areas,
including large caliber hypervelocity research and next generation
projectiles and propellants.
"
It's an enabling technology," said Chuck Muizers, vice president
and manager of AOT Division. "The gun's modular design
enables it to serve as a test bed for a multitude of sub-systems
and
technologies like new chambers, new projectile designs, or
new metal compositions. Through mitigating the need to develop
new
guns for testing purposes, the AMGD offers an alternative that
streamlines schedules and reduces costs. Increasing the range
of Naval Surface Fire Support requires gun systems firing projectiles
at higher velocities, translating to higher heat and pressure
levels. Projectiles will need to fly higher and further. Success
will require new approaches and new technologies for gun systems
and projectiles. We believe that the AMGD will play a key role
as an enabling technology in these areas.”
The AMGD provides the Department of Defense community with a
test gun for advanced technology in the areas of hypersonic and
long range projectiles, advanced propellants, barrel materials,
gun and projectile instrumentation. The gun can launch projectiles
at speeds up to 4,500 miles per hour (Mach 6).
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