Rarefaction Wave Gun (RAVEN)

[Creative]

Rarefaction Wave Gun (RAVEN)

Whatever happened to this project? Seems like a fancy recoilless gun.

http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2007gun_missile/GMTueAM2/MinerPresentation.pdf

 

[TomS]

Seems like they were still making progress in 2010, with tests scheduled into 2011.


http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2010armament/WednesdayLandmarkAMikeBixler.pdf

 

[Grey Havoc]

One of the more obscure weapons concepts, the RAVEN cannon:

 

[Grey Havoc]

For lighter weight vehicles, recoil limitations are overcome by incorporating the larger caliber rarefaction wave gun
technology while providing guided, stabilized LOS, course-corrected LOS, and beyond LOS accuracy"

Excellent overview of competing recoil management techniques from Dr. Eric Kathe, US Army RDECOM ARDEC’s Benet Labs, presentation at Armaments 2015.

Fire-out-of-battery always struck me as the most readily realizable.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/attachments/wedkathe-pdf.572303/

 

[snark]

From the National Interest Blog November 4, 2017 by Charlie Gao

"Several demonstrators have been made and tested. On the thirty-five-millimeter RAVEN demonstrator, muzzle velocity was maintained, while barrel heating was reduced by 41 percent relative to a conventional test gun, and momentum was reduced by 61 percent. In a larger forty-five-millimeter test cannon, muzzle velocity ended up being reduced by 22 percent, but greater decreases in barrel heating and recoil were observed. A 105-millimeter testbed was also built that incorporated a six-round autoloader. Contracts have been awarded to develop ammunition for RAVEN guns."