Latest real-world weaponry

[EchizenR]

I just came across this article which described the latest in so-called EM weapons. Perhaps the designers could get some new ideas from this.

"Invisible Wars" of the Future: E-Bombs, Laser Guns and Acoustic Weapons
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9522

[Sophisanmus]

EMPs and such may not be feasible against alien technology, possibly due to their material and existing defenses.  Don't get me wrong, I love EMP weapons when they appear and behave properly, but I don't think this is the right setting, with small-scale infantry-based skirmishes. 

Acoustic weapons, though a nifty hats-off to Terror from the Deep, may be too nonlethal.  Alien armor might be inherently resistant, or whatever life-support systems they use may nullify weaker pressure variations.  Perhaps the updated Flashbangs incorporate the products of any acoustic breakthroughs.  There was a time when we thought lasers could be used to wipe out entire armies. 

Lasers are already implemented in their feasible anti-personnel role.

A better example of EM-based weaponry would be the in-game Bolter, or the modern-day inspiration, the Railgun.  I think there may be more EM acceleration weaponry planned, when they have the resources.

[Nevasith]

I read it and i wonder, what a fascist one must be, to design an ozone layer destructing weapon...

[Darkpriest667]

nevasith the same kind of fascists that designed the orgasm gun.... and no folks im not joking... it emitted a phere's and acoustics...

needless to say... it was an utter failure.. these new acoustic weapons they are coming out with.. less than lethal my ass...

the long term side affects are devestating.. The nazis and japanese tested them in WW2 but the tech and energy sources werent there to make it feasable... now they are...

[EchizenR]

Haha, has anyone heard of DARPA's gay bomb? (a bomb that makes soldiers go gay over each other)

[Sophisanmus]

I heard that the gay bomb project was abandoned on... nyeeeh ...grounds.  That said, I'm sure you could raise some eyebrows with hot Shevaar-on-Shevaar action...

"Long term side effects" do not a good weapon make, at least not in this setting.  *VOOON*  "Ha-ha!  Now you die in six to ten days!"  *FRAPP*  "Oh dear, I am dead!"

[Kaerius]

Meh, metalstorm I say... now there's an interesting system. From super-fast machineguns and grenade launchers(emplacements in both cases), to machinepistols that get several shots out of the barrel before the recoil gets a chance to kick in, to multi-shot underslung grenade launchers and shotguns.

[Winter]

Meh, metalstorm I say... now there's an interesting system. From super-fast machineguns and grenade launchers(emplacements in both cases), to machinepistols that get several shots out of the barrel before the recoil gets a chance to kick in, to multi-shot underslung grenade launchers and shotguns.

You don't need Metalstorm to get several shots out of the barrel before recoil, the HK G11 did it in the bloody 1980s. In fact, while Metalstorm is indeed pretty cool, its military applications are actually very limited because it runs through its ammo too quickly, the ammo is too bulky (i.e. having to cart around lots of pre-loaded barrels), and it takes too much time to switch out barrels to reload.

The MS underslung launchers seem like a good idea but even they get a lot of flak from soldiers, for example the aussies equipped with the new AuSteyr, because they can't actually be reloaded in the field. If that is eventually resolved I can see it gaining some popularity, though the ammo for it would still be a pain to carry around.

Regards,
Winter

P.S. We do use Metalstorm techniques where appropriate, such as in the Bolter.

[DanielOR]

Winter,

G11 never saw mass production though, did it?  Shame, that.  The Russians now have the Abakan rifle - similar ergonomics to AK-74 with the main difference being that the second round is fired before ANY recoil is felt.  Resulting in two bullets in one hole at 100m (with a competent shooter, of course).  After two shots, though, it becomes a regular assault rifle.  I tried to ask around and what I heard is: yes, the two-punch has greater lithality, but the system is much more complicated than the famous AK series.  As a result, field-servicing Abakan is tricky, making it a weapon for a professional in a police environment, i.e. with frequent quality servicing, rather than a grunt's weapon.

[Winter]

Winter,

G11 never saw mass production though, did it?  Shame, that.  The Russians now have the Abakan rifle - similar ergonomics to AK-74 with the main difference being that the second round is fired before ANY recoil is felt.  Resulting in two bullets in one hole at 100m (with a competent shooter, of course).  After two shots, though, it becomes a regular assault rifle.  I tried to ask around and what I heard is: yes, the two-punch has greater lithality, but the system is much more complicated than the famous AK series.  As a result, field-servicing Abakan is tricky, making it a weapon for a professional in a police environment, i.e. with frequent quality servicing, rather than a grunt's weapon.

No, the G11 got scuppered by the reunification of Germany, although it was apparently quite reliable to fire despite its complexity.

As far as complexity goes, though, you're always going to have these problems when trying to update your infantry weapons, which is why rifle technology hasn't advanced very far in twenty years. Any new mechanism you add is going to make the weapon more difficult to service and more prone to breakage. It's the old wisdom of more moving parts. Also, any next-generation weapon needs to be significantly better than past ones in order to justify the expense of adopting it, and incurring extra costs such as adding fiddly bits and changing calibres away from the NATO standards is a no-no for most militarised nations (which are your only real market as a rifle manufacturer).

You simply cannot modernise a weapon like the AK because when you add anything you automatically make it more vulnerable to the harsh climes where it's likely to be used. That's the sort of design theory we've used for the game. Weaponry follows life, and things like ease of service and reliability weigh just as much as (if not more than) firepower and penetration.

Regards,
Winter

[Mayhem]

No, the G11 got scuppered by the reunification of Germany, although it was apparently quite reliable to fire despite its complexity.

There was also an issue with the buildup of residue from the propellants.  In a conventional rifle the propellant residue is captured inside the brass, but the G11's caseless design meant that the residue built up inside the receiver and could lead to fouling.

Not a problem, of course, for the Bolter.  Mind you, if the Bolter's "cannonade" is meant to represent a 3-round "pre-recoil" burst similar to that from a G11, I would suggest that its spread be reduced.

[Winter]

There was also an issue with the buildup of residue from the propellants.  In a conventional rifle the propellant residue is captured inside the brass, but the G11's caseless design meant that the residue built up inside the receiver and could lead to fouling.

That only happened in the early prototypes, though, they fixed the fouling problem in later versions.

Not a problem, of course, for the Bolter.  Mind you, if the Bolter's "cannonade" is meant to represent a 3-round "pre-recoil" burst similar to that from a G11, I would suggest that its spread be reduced.

That's an idea, but we'd rather not rewrite articles unless absolutely necessary.

Regards,
Winter

[VoxDissident]

Bunch of weapons engineers here. Sheesh.

Gay-bomb lawlawlawl

[Darkpriest667]

The G11 is quite the assault rifle... and you never had to switch out the barrel... the ammunition was 5.7 caseless or 4.9 caseless .... it was a top mount clip much like the P90....


Great gun.. too bad the US is deciding to stick with the m16

[Winter]

The G11 is quite the assault rifle... and you never had to switch out the barrel... the ammunition was 5.7 caseless or 4.9 caseless .... it was a top mount clip much like the P90....


Great gun.. too bad the US is deciding to stick with the m16

The problem with modern firearms is that we've hit sort of a development roadblock. There's not a hell of a lot you can do with guns that hasn't already been done without making them LOTS more complicated to service and repair. The P90 is powerful, yes, but a bit of a darling. The G11 is also not exactly a prime candidate for easy field-stripping. The AK-47 is still king of the assault rifles for a very good reason.

Regards,
Winter