Photo: Northrop Grumman
Those involved in making and using them generally call these weapons cannons. The general public likes to call them chain guns on account of the fact they use a roller chain to drive the bolt. No matter the name you use for them, though, this breed of weapons is about to birth something the world has never seen before.
You may be familiar with the term Bushmaster. It's a moniker slapped by defense contractor Northrop Grumman on a family of cannons that can be installed on pretty much all military platforms you can think of, from armored personnel carriers and tanks to helicopters and Navy ships, and serve their masters by delivering fast punches with different caliber ammunition.
Of interest to us today is a variant of the Bushmaster which was just presented by Northrop Grumman as the first of its kind. Based on the M230LF, which is technically a 30x113 mm medium caliber chain gun, the new version has the ability to switch, on the go, between ammo types, depending on what kind of threat it needs to defeat.
In normal configuration the M230LF can fire up to 200 rounds per minute, effectively shredding its target. That hasn't changed in the new version, but the types of rounds it can fire has.
You see, up until now the weapon could shoot only one type of ammo at a time, from a single belt, but the so-called M230 Link Fed (M230LF) Dual Feed Bushmaster Chain Gun can now switch between different types. The secret to this new capability sits in the Duel Feed part of its name.
The Bushmaster now makes use of two ammunition feed paths, a first for this weapon, and that eliminates the need of using mixed ammo belts in a single feed. More importantly, though, it allows operators to switch between different rounds as easily as flipping a switch.
The company does not list the entire range of ammo that can be used, but it does say a standard (and recommended) loadout includes XM1211 proximity fused rounds and XM1198 high explosive, dual purpose rounds. The former can be deployed against drones, but also ground targets, while the latter is ideal to fight off more capable adversaries, such as armored vehicles.
Northrop Grumman says the dual feed Bushmaster is presently at Technology Readiness Level 6, which means live fire demos are up next. Such tests of the "the first medium caliber chain gun in the world to offer a dual feed" are expected to be conducted early next year.
It is expected the rollout of the weapon will save time for its operators, reduce logistic needs, and allow more targets to be engaged with the same tool without the need to reload.
Deploying the dual feed Bushmaster will not require significant adaptations, as the weigh is the same as the single feed variant, and about 60 percent of parts are shared between the two weapons.
We're not told when the system will be ready, or who will deploy it first.
Of interest to us today is a variant of the Bushmaster which was just presented by Northrop Grumman as the first of its kind. Based on the M230LF, which is technically a 30x113 mm medium caliber chain gun, the new version has the ability to switch, on the go, between ammo types, depending on what kind of threat it needs to defeat.
In normal configuration the M230LF can fire up to 200 rounds per minute, effectively shredding its target. That hasn't changed in the new version, but the types of rounds it can fire has.
You see, up until now the weapon could shoot only one type of ammo at a time, from a single belt, but the so-called M230 Link Fed (M230LF) Dual Feed Bushmaster Chain Gun can now switch between different types. The secret to this new capability sits in the Duel Feed part of its name.
The Bushmaster now makes use of two ammunition feed paths, a first for this weapon, and that eliminates the need of using mixed ammo belts in a single feed. More importantly, though, it allows operators to switch between different rounds as easily as flipping a switch.
The company does not list the entire range of ammo that can be used, but it does say a standard (and recommended) loadout includes XM1211 proximity fused rounds and XM1198 high explosive, dual purpose rounds. The former can be deployed against drones, but also ground targets, while the latter is ideal to fight off more capable adversaries, such as armored vehicles.
Northrop Grumman says the dual feed Bushmaster is presently at Technology Readiness Level 6, which means live fire demos are up next. Such tests of the "the first medium caliber chain gun in the world to offer a dual feed" are expected to be conducted early next year.
It is expected the rollout of the weapon will save time for its operators, reduce logistic needs, and allow more targets to be engaged with the same tool without the need to reload.
Deploying the dual feed Bushmaster will not require significant adaptations, as the weigh is the same as the single feed variant, and about 60 percent of parts are shared between the two weapons.
We're not told when the system will be ready, or who will deploy it first.
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