Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) National Defense Industrial Association Joint Services Small Arms Systems Annual Symposium May 2006 Ms. Kori Spiegel Mr. Paul Shipley US Army ARDEC AAI Corporation (973) 724-7912 (410) 628-3462 [email protected] [email protected] 1 NDIA Small Arms May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Top 5 Soldier Weight Contributors Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) For Automatic Rifleman: 1. M249 Squad Automatic Weapon w/200 rds Ammo 2. 5.56mm Ammunition (400 rounds) 3. Body Armor & Helmet 4. Communication Equipment 5. Canteen/Water JSSAST May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Goals Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) Goals: • 35% weapon weight reduction • 40% ammunition weight reduction • Reduced training & maintenance • Maintain cost of current systems Approach: • “Clean Slate” design • Reduced weight as the priority • In depth trade studies • Extensive modeling & simulation NDIA Small Arms May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Program Approach Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) Light Machine Gun 5.56mm Telescoped Ammunition Demonstrator • Focus is development of technologies- not specific weapon system • Demo via Light Machine Gun with • Achieve 50% overall weight reduction 5.56mm ammunition • Pursue parallel Cased Telescoped and • In parallel, Company Machine Gun Caseless Ammunition design approaches study to determine feasibility of single • High commonality of design and function, some weapon with a single round of action component differences ammunition for both LMG and MMG 4 NDIA Small Arms May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Comparative Weights Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) NDIA Small Arms May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Concurrent & Leveraging Activities Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) (cid:51) In-Work TRL 5 TRL 6 Develop & Test Optimize Baseline Ctg Cartridge CT Mann Barrel In-Work (cid:51) (cid:51) Integrate and Test CTA Weapon Fabricate Action Test Action Update Design (cid:51) Lubricious Coatings Analysis & Tests Controllability Spiral Development Approach Tests Down System In-Work • Each spiraSle lreecpt troesents Single successiveCloyn cheipgther system High Temp Weapon Barrel Tests Materials integration levels Analysis & Tests • Exit criteria- Subsystem In-Work (cid:51) maturity sufficient for Develop & Test integration in next spiral Optimize HITP Propellant Baseline Ctg Cartridge Characterization Mann Barrel • Spiral duration varies per CL Integrate CL Weapon (cid:51) In-Work subsystem Chamber Seal Fabricate Action Test Action Test & Evaluation Spiral 1 Spiral 2 Spiral 3 Spiral 4 6 NDIA Small Arms May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies AAI Contractor Team Members Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) System Integrator IPT Leads Caseless Weapon Action Integrated Weapon Propellant for cased telescoped ammo Caseless ammunition (H&K/DN) Study application of LOVA propellant for caseless ammunition Cased telescoped ammo LAP “Green” ammunition concepts Related Activities Phase II- Add • ARDEC In-House Caseless Ammunition program (H&K/DN) JHU /APL Veritay MSC PTI Weapon ProduceTBrD • ARL cartridge case and barrel material programs Caseless Interior Thermal Testing Weapon Kinematic Polymer Materials Weapon • JSSAP BAA Component Contracts Ballistics Analysis and Analyses Modeling and Fabrication Producer • AAI Caseless Ammunition IR&D Program – CRADA with ARDEC-H&K/DN Propellant characterization – Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab-Modeling 7 NDIA Small Arms May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Integrated Product Team Organization Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) LMGA Executive Council Program Management IPT System Engineering Integration & Test Weapon IPT Ammunition IPT Supportability IPT (SEIT) IPT SE Mgt Working Group CL Ammo Working HSI Working Group Group Materials Working Group ILS Working Group Training Working Group 8 NDIA Small Arms May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Weapon Design and Performance Features Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) Key technologies Muzzle Compensator Rotating Chamber provides • Use of telescoped ammo- (Option) In-line push thru feed/eject cased and caseless Folding Front Sight Top mounted flip open feed tray • Lightweight materials & Both M855 ball and M856 Vented tracer bullets provide Foregrip Detachable Back up structural configuration lethality equivalent to M249 Iron Rear Sight • Thermal management for Long stroke, soft recoil Fluted, Quick Change Barrel Improves controllability weight reduction High stiffness and heat capacity –Barrel No tools for barrel change Rounds Counter –Caseless chamber improves maintainability components Structural attachment points for mounting rails provided on both • Caseless chamber sealing sides and top offoregrip Multiple Sling attach points for • Human factors- firing mission tailoring Full Loop controllability Polymer Links • Integration of electronics Semi or Full Auto Fire @ 100 Round Ammo 600 rd/min Both cased telescoped Soft Pouch (150 for and caseless configurations Caseless) 9 NDIA Small Arms May 2006 Lightweight Small Arms Technologies Ammunition Design Features Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) Key Technologies • Telescoped cartridge • Cased Ammunition – Polymer cartridge case and endcap – Compacted propellant (tracer rd) • Caseless Ammunition – High Ignition Temperature Propellant M855 LSAT CT LSAT CL – Booster assisted interior Weight 600 linked pkg'd rnds 20.8 lbs 14.0 lbs 10.2 lbs ballistics 33% reduction 51% reduction • Demonstrate in 5.56mm Muzzle velocity (78 ft) 3,020 ft/sec 3,020 ft/sec 3,020 ft/sec – Address producibility Length 2.25 inches 1.6 inches 1.6 inches – Consider scalability Diameter 0.38 inches 0.45 inches 0.35 inches Primer Percussion Percussion Percussion 10 NDIA Small Arms May 2006