, ARLINGTON, VA: Metal Storm is pleased to announce that it has conducted a live firing of its 40mm weapon system installed on a Dragonfly Pictures, Inc. (DPI) DP-5X prototype Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
A number of flights and ground demonstrations were performed September 27- 28, 2006, at the Warren Grove Air National Guard Bombing Range in Warren Grove, NJ under a Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA) contracted activity.
The flight demonstrations included firing from the hover position at various altitudes as well as forward flight “strafing” runs. The live fires utilized Metal Storm's GE40 40 mm grenade launcher, FC440 remotely operated fire control unit, and MK16-KE 40 mm kinetic energy projectiles. Initial tests were conducted from the DP-5X UAV in strap down mode as well as un-tethered hover sighting shots. Hover shots from various altitudes were followed by a concluding forward speed flight with shots that targeted a vehicle sited on the firing range.
Metal Storm Limited is a multi-national defense technology company engaged in the development of electronically initiated ballistics systems using its unique “stacked projectile” technology. The company is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia and incorporated in Australia, with an office in Arlington, Virginia. Metal Storm is working with government agencies and departments, as well as industry, to develop a variety of systems utilizing the Metal Storm non-mechanical, electronically fired stacked ammunition system.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD). It manages and directs selected basic and applied research and development projects for DoD, and pursues research and technology where risk and payoff are both very high and where success may provide dramatic advances for traditional military roles and missions.
DPI was founded in 1992 by Michael W. Piasecki to develop and supply unmanned vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial platforms for photography and time critical IMage INTelligence (IMINT) needs. DPI is under contract to develop a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the US Government.
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