With the ability to fire 16,000 rounds of ammunition each second, the Metal Storm Stacked Projectile is one of the most fearsome military weapons in development.

Firing one million rounds of ammunition per minute has earned the Metal Storm Stacked Projectile a citation in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s fastest firearm. The Metal Storm device was conceived by James Michael O’Dwyer, an Australian inventor. The weapon is now being developed by Metal Storm Ltd., a research and development company based in Brisbane, Australia that has a subsidiary in Arlington, Virginia.

The Metal Storm Stacked Projectile combines the barrel and magazine, and eliminates the need for a traditional firing mechanism. When the weapon’s trigger is pulled electronic impulses are sent directly to the bullets, which ignite them at an incredibly fast rate of 16,000 rounds a second. The bullets are fired from several barrels at once. This is essentially the same design as a "Roman Candle" firework. Metal Storm also has the ability to fire grenades at a rate of a half-a-million rounds per minute.

Adding to the Metal Storm weapon’s deadly power is the fact that it can operate autonomously using an advanced motion detection system. Metal Storm can be left unattended on a battlefield to detect enemy soldiers or vehicles passing by and then open fire on them. Military analysts claim that the Metal Storm Stacked Projectile could be used against tough vehicles such as tanks and armoured personnel carriers. The weapon has been featured on television programs on the BBC and Discovery Channel.

Despite the attention being paid to the Metal Storm Stacked Projectile, it remains a weapon that is under development. Issues have also been raised about the ethics of using such a lethal weapon on modern battlefields.

Metal Storm
23.11.2010