6/29/03
Check out the deadliest computer peripheral to hit the market since the Microsoft Natural Keyboard:
Metal Storm's new VLe electronic handgun.
That's right, no moving parts, all electronic. Metal Storm makes all kinds of all-electronic weapon goodies that they're trying to peddle to the U.S. government, including a 36-barrel minigun that fires at a rate of over a million rounds a minute. That's a lot. Here's the article at CNN.
BRISBANE, Australia (CNN) -- Imagine a gun that fires a million rounds a minute -- enough to shred a target in a blink of an eye, or throw up a defensive wall against an incoming missile.
This is Metal Storm, a weapons system that forsakes old-style mechanics for the speed of electronics.
Its inventor is Mike O'Dwyer, a one-time grocer in the Australian city of Brisbane. He's spent 30 years and much of his own money to develop the technology.
Now, finally, the doors are opening for him at the Pentagon, the U.S. Defense Department's headquarters.
O'Dwyer says that the real value comes from Metal Storm's electronic capability to deliver rates of fire and different types of projectiles very precisely.
The weapons range from a handgun that can only be operated by an authorized user to a grenade launcher that can fire either lethal or non-lethal ammunition.
While much of the technology is a closely guarded secret, the firing mechanism has no moving parts. Instead, it uses electronic ballistics technology. Unlike other guns, the only parts which move are the bullets.
The Metal Storm handgun employs electronic locking, which can limit firing access and stop unauthorized use. It can even be programmed not to fire within, say, the grounds of a school.
Its grenade launcher can give the same defensive security as a minefield, but without physically putting any explosives in the area being guarded. Instead, sensors can alert an operator to any intrusion. The operator can then decide whether to use lethal or non-lethal grenades to warn off -- or destroy -- the intruder.
O'Dwyer is a passionate advocate of applying technology to modern warfare and the rise of networking in defense thinking.
"Where network-centric warfare is going is moving the principal systems of weapons from the big, heavy, slow stuff to the small, light, fast, inexpensive (weapons), many of (which) -- and here's the important part -- is very smart."
It's this promise of speed and flexibility that has got the American and Australian military to commit $60 million in research and development funding for O'Dwyer's array of weapons.
Metal Storm started in a small Brisbane workshop, where all the prototypes have been built.
Increasingly, the project looks to the United States, where most of its staff are now based and where it hopes to clinch sales to defense agencies and police forces next year.
Going global has been in O'Dwyer's sights for many years. It's a target that gets a little larger and a little closer every day.
Once they get the VLe compatible with PalmOS, you'll be able to sync to keep track of whom you've killed. Neato.
My favorite part? It has four barrels, quite possibly making it niftier looking than Deckard's gun in Blade Runner:
You're The MP5!
Legendary Performance.
H&Ks Project 64 was the codename for the weapons
development effort that eventually spawned you
a solid, robust performer, a close-quarters 9mm
submachine gun in ubiquitous service with SWAT
teams and Counter-Terrorist forces worldwide.
What HK Weapons System Are You
brought to you by Quizilla
Random Scotto Factoid - I can juggle up to 3 beanbags.... badly.
Check out the deadliest computer peripheral to hit the market since the Microsoft Natural Keyboard:
Metal Storm's new VLe electronic handgun.
That's right, no moving parts, all electronic. Metal Storm makes all kinds of all-electronic weapon goodies that they're trying to peddle to the U.S. government, including a 36-barrel minigun that fires at a rate of over a million rounds a minute. That's a lot. Here's the article at CNN.
BRISBANE, Australia (CNN) -- Imagine a gun that fires a million rounds a minute -- enough to shred a target in a blink of an eye, or throw up a defensive wall against an incoming missile.
This is Metal Storm, a weapons system that forsakes old-style mechanics for the speed of electronics.
Its inventor is Mike O'Dwyer, a one-time grocer in the Australian city of Brisbane. He's spent 30 years and much of his own money to develop the technology.
Now, finally, the doors are opening for him at the Pentagon, the U.S. Defense Department's headquarters.
O'Dwyer says that the real value comes from Metal Storm's electronic capability to deliver rates of fire and different types of projectiles very precisely.
The weapons range from a handgun that can only be operated by an authorized user to a grenade launcher that can fire either lethal or non-lethal ammunition.
While much of the technology is a closely guarded secret, the firing mechanism has no moving parts. Instead, it uses electronic ballistics technology. Unlike other guns, the only parts which move are the bullets.
The Metal Storm handgun employs electronic locking, which can limit firing access and stop unauthorized use. It can even be programmed not to fire within, say, the grounds of a school.
Its grenade launcher can give the same defensive security as a minefield, but without physically putting any explosives in the area being guarded. Instead, sensors can alert an operator to any intrusion. The operator can then decide whether to use lethal or non-lethal grenades to warn off -- or destroy -- the intruder.
O'Dwyer is a passionate advocate of applying technology to modern warfare and the rise of networking in defense thinking.
"Where network-centric warfare is going is moving the principal systems of weapons from the big, heavy, slow stuff to the small, light, fast, inexpensive (weapons), many of (which) -- and here's the important part -- is very smart."
It's this promise of speed and flexibility that has got the American and Australian military to commit $60 million in research and development funding for O'Dwyer's array of weapons.
Metal Storm started in a small Brisbane workshop, where all the prototypes have been built.
Increasingly, the project looks to the United States, where most of its staff are now based and where it hopes to clinch sales to defense agencies and police forces next year.
Going global has been in O'Dwyer's sights for many years. It's a target that gets a little larger and a little closer every day.
- Forget the million-round super gun. Here are a few cool things about the VLe handgun (and I know guns are bad):
- gun can only fire in the owner's hand
- you can upload info -- like when the gun's been fired -- to a laptop
- it can talk, and says things like "safety on" and "lethal". Why do all handguns have female voices? The company thinks this will encourage criminals to give in. "Hey, the gun says it's lethal. We'd better surrender, boys."
- it can fire bullets ... or bean bags
Once they get the VLe compatible with PalmOS, you'll be able to sync to keep track of whom you've killed. Neato.
My favorite part? It has four barrels, quite possibly making it niftier looking than Deckard's gun in Blade Runner:
You're The MP5!
Legendary Performance.
H&Ks Project 64 was the codename for the weapons
development effort that eventually spawned you
a solid, robust performer, a close-quarters 9mm
submachine gun in ubiquitous service with SWAT
teams and Counter-Terrorist forces worldwide.
What HK Weapons System Are You
brought to you by Quizilla
Random Scotto Factoid - I can juggle up to 3 beanbags.... badly.
posted by Scottobear at
3:05:00 PM
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