Army Research Laboratory

ACALA

Future Direct Support Weapon

System (FDSWS)

Major David Scalsky

Richard S. Herman
27 April 1999
Fire Support

Armaments Center

AMC

Agenda
Present Status
Emerging Light Artillery
Requirements Drive Future Design
Program Activities & Technology

Fire Support

Armaments Center

TACOMARDEC

M198
16,000 lb.

XM 777
9000 lb.

M119A1
4,200 lb.

AMC

Agenda
Present Status
Emerging Light Artillery
Requirements Drive Future Design
Program Activities & Technology

Fire Support

Armaments Center

TACOMARDEC

AMC

Light Forces Operational

Characteristics

TACOMARDEC

Force projection Armies

Requires Strategic & Tactical
mobility
Increase in Operations Other
Than War
Early entry forces need force
multipliers until heavy forces
arrive (DS Artillery?)
Resource constrained
environments
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Armaments Center

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Emerging Doctrine Affects

Weapon Design

TACOMARDEC

Lighter weight to meet mobility

requirements
Advanced electronics to increase
survivability
More lethal to protect friendly
forces
More reliable to increase
availability
More affordable to support
Fire Support

Armaments Center

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Impulse/Weight Comparison
US Towed Artillery Systems
2
1 .5 4
1 .3 9

Impulse/Weight

1 .5

0 .8
0 .5 8

0 .5

0 .6 6

0 .6 4

0 .3 9

0
M101A1

M114A1

M102

M198

M119A1

XM777

FDSWS

105mm

155mm

105mm

155mm

105mm

155mm

Objective
System

Artillery Piece
Fire Support

Armaments Center

TACOMARDEC

AMC

Impulse/Weight Comparison
US Towed Artillery Systems
2

Impulse/Weight

1 .5

1 .3 9

0 .8
0 .5 8

0 .5

1 .5 4

Technological challenges
become exponential

0 .6 6

0 .6 4

0 .3 9

0
M101A1

M114A1

M102

M198

M119A1

XM777

FDSWS

105mm

155mm

105mm

155mm

105mm

155mm

Objective
System

Artillery Piece
Fire Support

Armaments Center

TACOMARDEC

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The Design Challenge

TACOMARDEC

Manufacturing Processes
Advanced Materials

Recoil Force Mitigation

Weapon Configuration

Weight

Stability

Integrating technologies without

disturbing the balance
Fire Support

Armaments Center

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Agenda
Present Status
Emerging Light Artillery
Requirements Drive Future Design
Program Activities & Technology

Fire Support

Armaments Center

TACOMARDEC

AMC

FDSWS Program Activities

& Technologies
FY

Program Activities

99

00

01

02

Reqs Definition/Concept Dev

03

04

TACOMARDEC

05

PDRR/ATD

Development

Technology Drivers

Lighter,
Stable
Artillery
Platforms

Recoil Management
Soft Recoil
Electro-Rheological Fluid Control
Advanced Materials & Structures
Laser/ETC Ignition
MR Fluids
Organic Composites,
Metal matrix Composites

New Industry IR&D &

alternate technologies

Fire Support

Armaments Center

FDSWS
Test Bed 1
7,000 lb.

FDSWS
Test Bed 2
*5,700 lb.*

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Advanced Design Techniques

For Weight Reduction

TACOMARDEC

Virtual Prototyping
CAD
Multi-functional
Components

Isogrid Technology
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Armaments Center

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Dynamic Model of TB2

Fire Support

Armaments Center

TACOMARDEC

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ER Fluids

TACOMARDEC

Suspension of particles in an insulating fluid

Fluids which display a significant change
in apparent viscosity with application of
an electric field
Change completely reversible, fast response
time (<1 msec)

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Armaments Center

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Isogrid Structural
Technology

TACOMARDEC

Reduces weight - maintains structural integrity

Fire Support

Armaments Center

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Summary

TACOMARDEC

Artillery must adapt to meet future needs

Current technological exploration
includes: Soft Recoil, ER Fluids &
Advanced Structures
Actively looking for new technologies to
meet aggressive requirements
Lighter,
Stable
Artillery
Platforms
Fire Support

Armaments Center