Kotterdam
06-04-2004, 10:03
M94A1 MicroBurst Precision-Guided Fragmentation Cannon
Following on the heels of the Hailstorm Precision-Guided Rounds, and the Rainstorm Precision-Guided Cannon developed for use by Raysia, the Dominion has developed a new secondary weapon system for use by its Air Dominance/Superiorty and Tactical Fighters. The MicroBurst Precision Guided Fragmentation Cannon is a 40mm weapon designed for one purpose and one purpose only - To engage and destroy enemy aircraft. MicroBurst rounds, like those used by the Hailstorm and Rainstorm systems, are precison guided, allowing them to correct their aimpoint to grant improved accuracy and lethality with a lower number of expended rounds.
Using the Hailstorm PGR round architecture, the MicroBurst round maneuvers through the use of a moveable head that can be tilted by strips of synthetic polymer called synthetic muscles. These polymer strips contract when an electrical current is applied, bending the nose of the round and altering the course to direct it towards the target. The nose of the MicroBurst round, however, is tipped with a tiny omni-directional radar chip operating in the millimeter-band to counter stealth, radar jamming, and other countermeasures. This radar chip is not for guidance, but rather operates as a proximity fuse. Once a target is well within the shrapnel bloom of the round, the MicroBurst weapon system kicks into action.
The MicroBurst round uses a two-stage charge to engage its target. The first destroys the nose cone of the round, sending shrapnel ripping through the skin and control surfaces of the fighter. The second drives a cluster of flechettes - Little darts - And fires them from what's left of the round as if out of a shotgun. These proceed to punch through the skin of the fighter to slice through wiring, fiber-optic cables, punch holes in fuel tanks and hydraulic lines, and generally wreak havoc with the aircraft's delicate internals. As a byproduct of the second explosion, the rest of the round is reduced to shrapnel, though it is the nose cone and the flechettes that do the majority of the damage. Testing in the prototype phase has shown that hits from five to eight rounds can generally be expected to render an aircraft unflyable, if not destroy it outright.
Following on the heels of the Hailstorm Precision-Guided Rounds, and the Rainstorm Precision-Guided Cannon developed for use by Raysia, the Dominion has developed a new secondary weapon system for use by its Air Dominance/Superiorty and Tactical Fighters. The MicroBurst Precision Guided Fragmentation Cannon is a 40mm weapon designed for one purpose and one purpose only - To engage and destroy enemy aircraft. MicroBurst rounds, like those used by the Hailstorm and Rainstorm systems, are precison guided, allowing them to correct their aimpoint to grant improved accuracy and lethality with a lower number of expended rounds.
Using the Hailstorm PGR round architecture, the MicroBurst round maneuvers through the use of a moveable head that can be tilted by strips of synthetic polymer called synthetic muscles. These polymer strips contract when an electrical current is applied, bending the nose of the round and altering the course to direct it towards the target. The nose of the MicroBurst round, however, is tipped with a tiny omni-directional radar chip operating in the millimeter-band to counter stealth, radar jamming, and other countermeasures. This radar chip is not for guidance, but rather operates as a proximity fuse. Once a target is well within the shrapnel bloom of the round, the MicroBurst weapon system kicks into action.
The MicroBurst round uses a two-stage charge to engage its target. The first destroys the nose cone of the round, sending shrapnel ripping through the skin and control surfaces of the fighter. The second drives a cluster of flechettes - Little darts - And fires them from what's left of the round as if out of a shotgun. These proceed to punch through the skin of the fighter to slice through wiring, fiber-optic cables, punch holes in fuel tanks and hydraulic lines, and generally wreak havoc with the aircraft's delicate internals. As a byproduct of the second explosion, the rest of the round is reduced to shrapnel, though it is the nose cone and the flechettes that do the majority of the damage. Testing in the prototype phase has shown that hits from five to eight rounds can generally be expected to render an aircraft unflyable, if not destroy it outright.