ARES Inc. projects

[Voltzz]

Im not sure what the situation of the ARES company is now, but their website is still up and has a helpful list (here) of their projects. Some of these already have threads on this forum but i thought this thread could be used to fill in the blanks. Any help would be appreciated and let me know if i missed any topics that already have threads.

Gun Design:
• 5mm Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) (thread here)
• 5.56mm Future Assault Rifle (FARC)
• 5.56mm Light Machine Gun (LMG)
• 7.62mm Externally Powered Machine Gun (EPG)
• 9mm Folding Machine Gun (FMG)
• Cal .50 Telescoped Ammunition Machine Gun (TAMG)
• Cal .50 Telescoped Ammunition Revolver Gun (TARG)
• Cal .50 Plastic Cased Telescoped Ammunition (PCTA)
• 20mm Advanced Gun Technology (AGT) CTA Gun
• 20mm TALON Automatic Cannon
• 25mm AFTAG Cased Telescoped Ammunition (CTA) Gun
• 30mm COMVAT CTA Gun
• 35mm TALON Automatic Cannon
• 45mm COMVAT CTA Gun (thread here)
• 75mm XM274 Automatic CTA Cannon (thread here)
• 90mm Automatic CTA Cannon
• 105mm T54 Retrofit
• 105mm Low Reaction Recoil System (LRRM), Stryker MGS, Stingray
• 155mm Active Recoil Mechanism

Ammunition Feed Systems:
• 20mm AGT Linkless Feed System
• 20mm TALON Indexing Drum
• 35mm TALON Indexing Drum
• 35mm CVAST Dual Feeders • 75mm Feed Systems 3 to 27 round variations
• 105mm MGS Autoloader Handling System (AHS)
• 120mm ICAS Design
• ASM (45mm – 140mm) Autoloader Concepts

Systems / Turrets:
• ALAAV Remote Turret
• Eagle Air Defense System
• 35mm CVAST Cleft Turret
• 75mm LAV Unmanned Turret (thread here)

ARES Engineered Advanced Concepts:
• Hybrid Electromagnetic Gun
• Composite Unitary EMG Barrels • Advanced Material Gun System
• Gun Barrel Thermal Modeling


Wikipedia also has a less extensive list that also provides some more detail and timeframes:

Spoiler: List

• 1973–1978: Ares FARC (Future Assault Rifle Concept)
• 1974–1984: 35mm Eagle Air Defense System, 35mm autocannon, 35mm CVAST Turret System
• 1975–1988: 75mm XM274 Medium Caliber anti-armor automatic cannon and the XM21 Loader
• 1980–1982: 90mm Medium Caliber anti-armor automatic cannons
• 1985–1986: Ares FMG (Folding Machine Gun, designed by Francis Warin)
• 1984–1988: .50 caliber PCTA (Plastic Cased Telescoped Ammunition), 33% lighter than M33 cartridge
• 1984–1987: 20mm CTA 6-barrel Gatling Gun
• 1985–1989: .50 caliber TAMG (Telescoped Ammunition Machine Gun, 40% lighter than the M2 HBMG
• 1985–1988: Innovative Recoil Mechanism, real time recoil control measuring recoil position and velocity
• 1985–1998: The Automatic Loader and 9-round Carousel Magazine for the AGS Advanced Gun System
• 1986–1993: Ares LMG (Light Machine Gun, aka the “Stoner 86”, a refined version of the Stoner 63)
• 1986–1989: AIWS (Advanced Individual Weapon System)
• 1986–1994: 45mm XM295 COMVAT (COMbat Vehicles Armament Technology) automatic cannon and autoloader using CT ammunition developed by Orbital-ATK
• 1987–1990: .50 caliber TARG (Telescoped Ammunition Revolver Gun a lightweight gun for aircraft applications
• 1997–1999: The Automatic Loader and 8-round Carousel Magazine for the Stryker 105mm MGS
• 1997–2003: The recoil mechanism for the Stryker 105mm MGS
• 2003–present: Sole source supplier for new and refurbished recoil mechanisms for the Stryker 105mm MGS
• 2001–2003: Validated the US Army Benet Laboratories' RAVEN (RArefaction WaVE Gun) concept with the 35mm Demonstrator and the Ares designed and manufactured firing mount
• 2004–2011: LSAT (Lightweight Small Arms Technologies), in cooperation with AAI Corporation) that included, 5.56mm CT Spiral 1 ammunition design, 5.56mm LMG weapon action, 5.56mm Carbine
• 2006–2013: Test and refinement of US Army Benet Laboratories' 105mm RAVEN Demonstrator and the Ares designed and manufactured firing mount (thread here)
• 2008–2013: Designed, manufactured, and tested the Medium caliber 45mm RAVEN Demonstrator and firing mount
• 2005–present: 7.62mm EPG (Externally Powered Gun) designed by Gene Stoner in the early 1970s; updated and developed for today's remote weapon stations
• 2007–present: Developing manufacturing technology to rifle barrels with an explosively bonded Tantalum-Tungsten liner
• 2014–present: Design the intermediate caliber CT carbine
• Small, medium, and large caliber Mann barrels and launchers

 

[Voltzz]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1152541655121170433

View: https://twitter.com/skylancer7441/status/1152541655121170433

https://twitter.com/x/status/1319961358805405697

View: https://twitter.com/skylancer7441/status/1319961358805405697


Some picture of the Talon 35mm autocannon and the CVAST turret for the Bradley and Eagle SPAAG that used it.

 

[Voltzz]

7.62mm Externally Powered Machine Gun (EPG)
From Armada International 6/2014:

Cooling is definitely a key factor when firing a machine gun, thus the same technology (carbon fibre barrels) was adopted by Ares for its EPG (Externally Powered Gun), an electrically activated weapon in 7.62 mm Nato calibre which can fire in semi-automatic and full automatic modes at a variable rate of fire of 420 to 600 rounds per minute. Ares installed the weapon on a Precision Remotes Trap T360 with a barrel supplied by Proof Research, a company specialised in resin formulations and advanced composites manufacturing whose fibre-wrapped barrels are claimed to be approved for use by the US Military. A carbon fibre barrel production starts with a full-profile, match-grade 416R stainless steel barrel blank, which is then turned down to a significantly reduced profile. This is then filament-wrapped with high-strength, aerospace-grade carbon fibre impregnated with a high-thermal conductivity matrix resin. The carbon fibre used is 10 times stronger and has a specific stiffness nearly six times greater than stainless steel. Strength and stiffness are only part of the equation, the helical wrapping pattern favouring the longitudinal thermal diffusivity of the carbonfibres which allows dissipation of the heat emanating from the steel liner rather than insulate it. According to Proof Research the unique bonding agent developed by the company also allows heat conduction very effectively through the thickness of the barrel. The result of all this is improved cooling and thus a longer barrel life. In addition, the reduced heating consistently reduces the point-of-impact shift during high-volume fire, while mechanical characteristics reduce harmonic barrel vibration. This leads to improved accuracy with a barrel weight that can be reduced by 64%,but at an undisclosed cost.

From Small Arms Defense Journal:

Ares, Inc. has produced the TARG (not shown), which is a .50 caliber Telescoped Ammunition Revolver Gun, which is single barreled with a special ammunition, and the EPG, Externally Powered Gun in 7.62x51mm (shown). The EPG is a 24vdc driven machine gun that feeds with standard M13 disintegrating links from right or left hand, with a rate of fire that is variable up to 650rpm. The complete EPG gun assembly weighs 27.6 lbs, and it is shown in the Ares remote firing weapon station. (www.aresinc.net)

 

[Voltzz]

120mm ICAS Design
Source

Hull loaders were examined for both bare rounds and cannister ammunition. Concepts from Ares, FMC and Emerson Electric were considered for cannister round autoloaders. For the bare round designs, concepts from FMC, Western Designs, and General Motors were considered. Of these concepts, the Ares design for containerized rounds was judged the most appropriate for our analysis. It was therefore chosen as the base from which the autoloader discussed in the concept section was derived. A sketch of the two-piece ammunition container as proposed by Ares is shown in Fig. 14. It is 850 mm long, 160 mm wide, and 340 mm
tall.
The bulk of the propellent is contained in one cavity and the warhead, with more propellent in another cavity. The small hook shown in the lower right-hand corner of the side view is necessary for proper autoloader function.
The Ares autoloader was slightly modified to the form shown in Fig. 15. It consists of a ring of ready rounds mounted on a rotating carousel that is contained within the turret basket and rotates with the gun. It can carry several types of rounds.
As shown in Fig. 16, ammunition is carried from the basket to the turret on an elevator. The elevator is a simple double-link chain that pulls the round along a guide. The round is pulled from the carousel into ramming position. The proposed rammer is a double chain rammer ( Other ramamer types, such as a ribbon rammer, may also be used. The double-chain ramnmer used here was part of the proposed Ares autoloader system.) For the two-piece ammunition design, one piece is first loaded, the elevator is
raised, and the second piece is then rammed. The elevator continues to rise until the empty cannister is ejected from the top of the turret.
Rounds may also be downloaded if the rammer and round pieces are equipped properly. At least one spent cannister may be retained in the carousel for downloading. Given the size of ammunition and the confined quarters of the turret and turret basket, it would not be feasible for this system to have a manual backup.

 

[jsport]

Some picture of the Talon 35mm autocannon and the CVAST turret for the Bradley and Eagle SPAAG that used it.

A Bushmaster III 35mm Extended Area Protection & Survivability (EAPS) autocannon in the Ares Eagle configuration could enhance Bradleys well for CRAM + quadrotors. CRAM + quadrotors may be one of the most important Bradley roles in the future.

 

[Voltzz]

Some picture of the Talon 35mm autocannon and the CVAST turret for the Bradley and Eagle SPAAG that used it.

A Bushmaster III 35mm Extended Area Protection & Survivability (EAPS) autocannon in the Ares Eagle configuration could enhance Bradleys well for CRAM + quadrotors. CRAM + quadrotors may be one of the most important Bradley roles in the future.

Do you mean CVAST configuration? The Eagle is the dedicated SPAAG with twin autocannons and is based on a M548 (M113) hull. It has very little to do with the Bradley.

 

[jsport]

Some picture of the Talon 35mm autocannon and the CVAST turret for the Bradley and Eagle SPAAG that used it.

A Bushmaster III 35mm Extended Area Protection & Survivability (EAPS) autocannon in the Ares Eagle configuration could enhance Bradleys well for CRAM + quadrotors. CRAM + quadrotors may be one of the most important Bradley roles in the future.

Do you mean CVAST configuration? The Eagle is the dedicated SPAAG with twin autocannons and is based on a M548 (M113) hull. It has very little to do with the Bradley.

Ares Talon yes,

 

[Voltzz]

Found this ad for the ARES family of small arms
From bottom to top:

• 9mm Folding Machine Gun (FMG)
• 7.62mm Externally Powered Machine Gun (EPG)
• 5.56mm Light Machine Gun (LMG) (Stoner 86)
• not sure, might be one of the 50cal guns listed above.

Edit: added another image of the FMG

 

[Voltzz]

The .50 Ares TARG (Telescoped Ammunition Revolver Gun) and its PCTA (Plastic Cased Telescoped Ammunition) round (second from the left)

 

[youROKer]

Eagle SPAAG. Source: Armoured Archives discord

 

[Voltzz]

Lightweight single 35mm AA gun mount for the Ares Talon auto-cannon