1. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition: The “Clean Slate” Approach
NDIA Joint Service Small Arms Symposium
May 2004
Kori Spiegel
Joint Service Small Arms Program
(973)

2. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition Goals
A “Clean Slate” Design with Reduced Weight as the Priority
35% Weapon Weight Reduction
40% Ammo Weight Reduction
Light Machine Gun
Medium MG
Current
Goal
Weapon
17.5 lb
11.4 lb
27.7
18.0
Ammo (600 Rds)
20.4 lb
12.2 lb
39.3
23.6
System (Wpn +Ammo)
37.9 lb
23.6 lb
67.0
41.6

3. Requirements
Ammunition
Weapon
External Interfaces

4. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition The Method
Investigated State of the Art Technologies
Awarded 5 “Component” Contracts: ATK, Frontier, FNMI, Knox & Veritay
Researched previous and ongoing efforts
Restarted caseless ammunition line at Picatinny
Conducted Quality Function Deployments
Serves as Voice of the User
Held QFD’s for User, Designer and a combined group
Results led to criteria for solicitation
Awarded System Integration Contracts
Contracts awarded to AAI Corporation and GD-ATP
Multi phase program to analyze, build and test concepts
Conduct integration testing and User demo
Testing will encompass all Milestone B requirements and FFW Demo
Completed at end of FY07
Transition to PM Soldier Weapons

5. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition Schedule
FY FY FY FY FY07
Component Studies
Component Demos
Caseless Ammo Study
Caseless Ammo Demo
System Concept Design
(Phase 1)
Ltwt Machine Gun
Development (Phase 2)
Subsystem Testing
System Integration Testing
(Phase 3)
Early Operational Test

6. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition AAI Team

7. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition AAI – Key Features
Achieves weight reduction objective
Ammunition
Weapon
Simplified weapon action
Extensive use of composites
Spiral development approach
Light Machine Gun
Medium Machine Gun

8. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition GD-ATP Team
Lead System Integrator
Lethality lead for system level performance
Established system requirements and functional analysis and allocations with flow down to subsystem IPT’s
Responsible for risk management, effectiveness analysis, configuration management, interface and data management
Lead on Technical Performance (TPM) tracking (DTUPC and DTUW)
Key member for Weapon Design and Development & IPT
Co-design selected weapon concept
Assist GDATP weapon TPM tracking (DTUPC and DTUW)
Lead Design and Integrator for Ammunition Design and Development
Design lead on ammunition
Lead on ammo TPM tracking (DTIPC and DTUW)
Reliability and maintainability lead for ammo

9. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition GD-ATP Concept
Meets or exceeds weight reduction objectives
Emphasis on PROCESS to achieve PRODUCT
Flexible weapon and ammunition design
Current
Future

10. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Patricia M. O’Reilly
Chief, Energetic and Organic Materials Laboratory Branch
Energetics and Warheads Division
Energetics, Warheads, and Environmental Technology Directorate
Armaments Engineering and Technology Center
US Army Armament Research Development Engineering Center
NDIA Small Arms Symposium & Exhibition
May 12, 2004
Las Vegas, Nevada

11. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Objective
To develop and demonstrate an in-house capability and core competency to manufacture Caseless Ammunition prototypes in support of the Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition Science & Technology Objective
Deliver Caseless Ammunition for a live-fire/ballistic demonstration
Establish ARDEC with a World Class Caseless Ammunition Capability

12. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Why Caseless Ammunition?
Lightweight
Force Multiplier
Decreased Logistics Burden
High Ignition Temperature Propellant (HITP) provides improved propellant characteristics & energetic behavior
High level interest
Push the State of the Art – A Technology that fits the “clean slate” approach

13. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Background
Previous work performed under Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) Program nearly 15 years ago
Technology Development funded by US (ARDEC) and Germany to Heckler & Koch (H&K)/Dynamit Nobel (DNAG)
Successful Demonstration of Caseless Ammunition Rifle System
Technology Licensed & Transferred to the US at ARDEC

14. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Why ARDEC In-house Effort?
Original Caseless Ammunition prototype manufacturing capability exists/retained
Risk of Technology being lost - Loss of expertise
Develop and maintain expertise/competency area
Provides new hires hands-on experience
Development of cutting edge technology

15. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Technical Approach
Determine Feasibility
Identify and address technical challenges/potential risk areas
Near term & long term
Material needs and source suppliers - availability
Assess equipment condition
Costs
Determined viability Organizational Commitment
Re-establish capability and prototyping process utilizing existing technology
Validation of In-house Caseless Ammunition capability for 5.56mm

16. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Status of Progress
Accomplishments
Materials, supplies and services obtained
Maintenance and service equipment – test and manufacturing
SOPs and Manufacturing Process procedures
Baseline Formulation Selected
First HITP mix manufactured
Pressing Study completed

17. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration

18. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Status of Progress
Next Steps
Select initial charge weights
Manufacture initial quantity of prototypes
Charge Weight Determination (Ballistic Evaluation)
Evaluate results and select next charge weight(s)
Characterization
Implementation of any processing improvements
Interior Ballistic Modeling
Manufacture second HITP mix and qty of prototypes
Charge weight(s) verification (Ballistic Evaluation)
Evaluate results and determine optimal charge weight
Manufacture HITP for Demonstration Quantity
Small qty of prototypes for charge wt and ballistic performance validation
Manufacture demonstration qty
Deliver Demonstration quantity - June ‘04

19. Caseless Ammunition Capability Demonstration
Technical Challenges
Long term availability and identification of source suppliers
Material replacements
Environmentally friendly alternatives/ manufacturing processes for constituents
Summary
Validation of the in-house capability proceeding
Efforts focused to bring Caseless Ammunition Capability/Technology to a sufficient maturation level
Acknowledgements
JSAAP Office
PPP
Entire Caseless Ammunition IPT

20. Lightweight Machine Gun and Ammunition Summary
By using “Clean Slate”, program goals are feasible
Program progressing successfully
Close partnering between Government & Industry
Comments/Questions?