I want one! For hunting deer, of course . http://defence-data.com/current/page8065.htm
9 August 2000
The US Army's next generation personal weapon, the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW), has entered the next phase in its development. The US Army Armament, Research, Development, and Engineering Centre (ARDEC) has given ATK (Alliant Techsystems) a 48-month, $95 million contract for the Programme Definition and Risk Reduction (PDRR) phase.
ATK's Integrated Defense Company will evaluate a broad range of design concepts to ensure that the Army has the best combination of OICW features and performance.
The OICW is a light weight weapon that can fire kinetic energy projectiles and an air-bursting fragmentation munition. It combines new technologies in miniaturised fuzing; integrated fire control; light weight, high strength materials; and munitions effects. The OICW is being designed to replace the M16 rifle, M203 grenade launcher, and M4 carbine. The fire control system (FCS), using a laser range finder, pinpoints the precise target range at which the HE round will burst and relays this information to the 20mm ammunition fuzing system. The sighting system provides full 24-hour capability by employing uncooled IR sensor technology for night vision.
Specific goals fir the rifle include demonstration of hit probability greater than 0.5 out to 500 metres and 0.3 to 0.5 out to 1,000 metres. Effectiveness against personnel and light armour targets, given a hit, will be greater than those of the M433 High Explosive Dual Purpose cartridge fired from the M203 Grenade Launcher and the M855 cartridge fired from the M16A2 rifle. Specific goals for the grenade launcher include a 50% probability of incapacitation at 300 metres for a point target and a 20% probability of incapacitation at 300 metres for a target behind cover.
ATK's OICW team includes Brashear Ltd., Pittsburgh, Pa. (fire control system), and Heckler and Koch (HK) GmbH, Oberndorf, Germany and HK Inc., Sterling, Va. (weapon design and US manufacture). ATK Integrated Defense Company is the prime contractor, with responsibility for total weapon system integration and testing and the system's high-explosive ammunition.
Sharon Boone, OICW programme director, ATK Integrated Defense Company, said the OICW team will be applying lessons learned during the program's Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) phase to ensure that all potential programme risks are resolved before engineering and manufacturing development begins in 2004.
"The ATD programme provided us with an enormous amount of valuable test data on both the weapon system and the ammunition, as well as extensive feedback from users on system design, operation, and training,'' said Boone. "This information will form the basis for our work during the PDRR phase, which will lay the groundwork for final development and eventual production.''
REF XQQAS XQQLD
The US Army's next generation personal weapon, the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW), has entered the next phase in its development. The US Army Armament, Research, Development, and Engineering Centre (ARDEC) has given ATK (Alliant Techsystems) a 48-month, $95 million contract for the Programme Definition and Risk Reduction (PDRR) phase.
ATK's Integrated Defense Company will evaluate a broad range of design concepts to ensure that the Army has the best combination of OICW features and performance.
The OICW is a light weight weapon that can fire kinetic energy projectiles and an air-bursting fragmentation munition. It combines new technologies in miniaturised fuzing; integrated fire control; light weight, high strength materials; and munitions effects. The OICW is being designed to replace the M16 rifle, M203 grenade launcher, and M4 carbine. The fire control system (FCS), using a laser range finder, pinpoints the precise target range at which the HE round will burst and relays this information to the 20mm ammunition fuzing system. The sighting system provides full 24-hour capability by employing uncooled IR sensor technology for night vision.
Specific goals fir the rifle include demonstration of hit probability greater than 0.5 out to 500 metres and 0.3 to 0.5 out to 1,000 metres. Effectiveness against personnel and light armour targets, given a hit, will be greater than those of the M433 High Explosive Dual Purpose cartridge fired from the M203 Grenade Launcher and the M855 cartridge fired from the M16A2 rifle. Specific goals for the grenade launcher include a 50% probability of incapacitation at 300 metres for a point target and a 20% probability of incapacitation at 300 metres for a target behind cover.
ATK's OICW team includes Brashear Ltd., Pittsburgh, Pa. (fire control system), and Heckler and Koch (HK) GmbH, Oberndorf, Germany and HK Inc., Sterling, Va. (weapon design and US manufacture). ATK Integrated Defense Company is the prime contractor, with responsibility for total weapon system integration and testing and the system's high-explosive ammunition.
Sharon Boone, OICW programme director, ATK Integrated Defense Company, said the OICW team will be applying lessons learned during the program's Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) phase to ensure that all potential programme risks are resolved before engineering and manufacturing development begins in 2004.
"The ATD programme provided us with an enormous amount of valuable test data on both the weapon system and the ammunition, as well as extensive feedback from users on system design, operation, and training,'' said Boone. "This information will form the basis for our work during the PDRR phase, which will lay the groundwork for final development and eventual production.''
REF XQQAS XQQLD