After years of grueling development and more than 450 preliminary tests,
the United States military is poised to shatter the limits of long-range precision fire and
usher in a new era of artillery supremacy. The breakthrough that military strategists
have eagerly anticipated has arrived, and it is nothing short of a game-changer.
The Boeing and Nammo corporations have achieved a stunning first fire test of their Ramjet 155
shell. This revolutionary projectile has left US authorities positively giddy with excitement,
as it can reach supersonic speeds, obliterate targets with laser-guided
accuracy, and travel further than any conventional artillery shell in the market.
In essence, the Ramjet 155 fuses the best of both worlds, combining the accuracy of
guided artillery with the power of a missile. Its air-breathing engine ignites after launch,
propelling the projectile to speeds that defy belief. With its intelligent guidance system and
unprecedented range, it is set to redefine the very meaning of artillery in the near future.
The Ramjet 155 also promises to solve the problem of gun tube wear and tear,
as it doesn't require the same breach pressure as a regular projectile.
It's no wonder the arms industry is shaking in its boots at the prospect
of such a game-changing technology. Other weapons manufacturers are already racing to
incorporate this revolutionary weapon into their own plans for the future.
If the shell's final testing phase continues to succeed,
everything points to an incredible shift in the world of artillery weaponry…
Breathing Engine
Few technologies are more efficient and powerful than Ramjet engines when it comes
to high-speed supersonic vehicles and projectiles.
First conceptualized as early as 1913, ramjet propulsion was envisioned as a
groundbreaking way to create high-speed platforms that required no moving part
as its thrust would be powered by the vehicle's forward motion.
In simple terms, a ramjet engine is designed to operate at high speeds, such as those found in
supersonic aircraft or missiles. The basic idea is that it has no moving parts like turbines
or fans. Instead, it relies on the speed of the air rushing into the engine to compress the air
and mix it with fuel, creating a high-speed exhaust that propels the aircraft forward.
Mixing the air and fuel is achieved using a specially designed combustion chamber
shaped like a cone located at the front of the engine. As the air rushes into the machine, it is
compressed and heated by the combustion chamber, causing the fuel to ignite and burn rapidly.
This generates a powerful force that allows for supersonic speeds.
One of the main advantages of a ramjet engine is its simplicity. Because it has no moving parts,
it is lighter, more reliable, and easier to maintain than other types of jet engines. However,
ramjets are not very efficient at low speeds. They require a separate engine, such as a rocket
or a turbojet, to get them up to their operating speed. As a result, they are primarily used in
applications where high speed is essential, such as in missiles or high-speed aircraft.
When fitted into a fast-flying missile or projectile, the ramjet engine can
offer unparalleled fuel efficiency, speed, flight control, and reliability.
Nevertheless, as ideal as the technology is for high-speed projectiles,
its incorporation into weapons has been riddled with obstacles, most relating to
the initial propulsion system required to take the engine to its operating speed.
Several countries have been able to develop a variety of ramjet missiles throughout the decades,
with varying degrees of success; still, the Ramjet 155 is poised to become the
first artillery solution that takes the technology to mass-produced platforms.
Ramjet Shells
In an ironic turn of events, ramjet technology is returning to its initial
experimentation stage as it enters the realm of artillery weaponry.
Back in 1915, a Hungarian inventor named Albert Fonó had a genius idea for extending
the range of artillery: combining a gun-launched projectile with a ramjet propulsion unit. This
revolutionary concept would allow for long-range strikes with heavy shells,
all while using relatively lightweight guns and low muzzle velocities.
Fonó's ingenuity knew no bounds, and he wasted no time submitting his groundbreaking invention to
the Austro-Hungarian Army. However, the top brass failed to recognize the game-changing potential
and turned down his proposal, leaving his innovation languishing in obscurity for decades.
The Soviet Union eventually delved into ramjet-powered artillery shells when
engineer Leonid Merkulov used artillery guns to test his first Ramjet engine prototypes.
His experiments produced a phosphorus-fueled ramjet called GIRD-08 in 1933, which was
tested by launching it from an artillery gun. These shells may have possibly been
the first artillery projectiles to break the speed of sound in history.
Even so, the experimental artillery shell proved to have limited efficiency, and the
Soviets were more concerned with producing ramjet aircraft and long-range missiles.
Decades later, in 2019, the old application was resurrected and adapted to the technology of a
new era. In response to the US Army's XM1155 Extended Range Artillery Projectile program,
Boeing and Norwegian defense company Nammo embarked on a journey to revisit
the idea in order to meet the long-range precision fire requirements of the US Army.
The results have been remarkable…
Ramjet 155
The Ramjet 155 is a new type of artillery projectile that uses a ramjet engine to propel
itself over long distances with high accuracy and lethality while maintaining supersonic speed.
The weapon is one of the most prominent solutions to meet the
US Army's long-range precision fire requirements.
The shell proposed by Boeing and Nammo manages to comply with the US Army's requirement for
increased range and speed while also providing an affordable and easy-to-maintain solution as
the ramjet engine does not have any significant moving parts, such as a compressor or a turbine.
The Ramjet 155 uses a solid rocket booster to accelerate it to supersonic speeds,
where the ramjet engine can take over and sustain its flight. It can reach speeds of up
to Mach 3 and ranges of up to 100 kilometers depending on the launch angle and altitude.
As summarized by Dan Palmeter, capture team lead for Boeing Phantom Works' Ramjet 155:
(QUOTE) "The Ramjet 155 achieves longer distances and greater speed
because it doesn't have an oxidizer onboard."
In addition, it has a GPS-guided fuze system that adjusts its trajectory to hit its target.
Its intelligent guidance system can change its flight path, lock on to designated targets
using laser or infrared signals, and strike with devastating lethality and unparalleled accuracy.
According to Boeing, the Ramjet 155 solves the problem of wearing out gun tubes,
as the technology can reduce barrel wear and extend tube life by reducing propellant mass
and peak pressure. As such, the shell not only meets the US Army's range and
speed requirements but also provides the US military with an affordable solution
that will make their artillery guns last considerably longer in the battlefield.
With the development program still ongoing, the program will culminate with a guided flight,
and the possibilities are endless. The Ramjet 155 could answer the Army's long-range precision fire
modernization priorities, as it is designed to meet the needs of the L39 and L58 cannons.
It is also expected to revolutionize the artillery by enabling ground forces to engage
targets beyond their current capabilities while reducing their exposure to enemy counter-fire
and delivering a devastating payload farther, faster, and cheaper than previously possible.
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