Innovative Lightweight Munitions

It is necessary to reduce the weight of weapon system carried by the individual solder to achieve maximum effectiveness. This includes new weapon systems under development such as the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) which initially is overweight. The development and utilization of advanced engineered materials for components, such as the barrels of the OICW, have the potential to not only reduce weight, but also enhance performance that includes thermal management under rapid fire scenarios. Barrel performance can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude with the utilization of refractory metal liners functionally graded into titanium or a metal matrix composite that can also reduce weight by more the 50% over steel barrels. It is also possible to uniquely utilize composites to reduce heat flow through the barrel to provide thermal management during rapid fire sequences. Modeling will be performed to assist in accessing barrel performance and heat flow that will help guide the experimental development along with input from the OICW developer. Hybrid composite barrels will be fabricated and screen tested for heat checking, vented bomb erosion, live fire forcing cone tested and thermal properties characterized. Barrels will be produced for live test, and analyzed for wear/erosion/corrosion and heat flow followed by final optimized barrels produced for additional live fire test. A cost analysis and manufacturing process accessed for production producing the hybrid composite barrel which constitutes a paradigm in ultra-lightweight barrels with managed heat flow.