Slashdot Mirror
US Army Unveils 3D-Printed Grenade Launcher Called RAMBO (ibtimes.co.uk)
New submitter drunkdrone quotes a report from International Business Times: The U.S. Military has a new firearm in its itinerary: Meet RAMBO, the 3D printed grenade launcher that could revolutionize the way soldiers are equipped for battle. RAMBO, or the Rapid Additively Manufactured Ballistics Ordnance to give it its proper name, is based on the U.S. Army's M203 underslung grenade launcher for firearms including the M16 and M4A1 carbine. But RAMBO is unique in that all of its parts save for the springs and fasteners have been produced by 3D printing -- and that includes the grenades themselves. The breech-loaded grenade launcher consists of 50 individual parts, the majority of which were developed through the additive manufacturing process. Additive manufacturing is a form of 3D printing whereby layers of material, commonly photopolymer resin, are printed on top of each other to create a 3D object. During testing, RAMBO successfully fired 15 shots without showing any sign of deterioration. The ammunition itself was also 3D printed, based on the M781 40mm training round. U.S. Army researchers selected this particular round because it doesn't require any explosive propellants, the use of which are have not been proved safe with 3D printed objects.
Some kill-crazy sonofabitch off the chain and looking for body count.
How does one PROJECT this sort of thing without actually getting lost in it?
In essence, making the other dumb sonofabitch crap themselves for their country and not want to actually fight and die?
Scary naming conventions.
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
Nobody should be allowed to use acronyms anymore. Heh. (Whoops on the AC post. Don't know why I wasn't logged in...)
I christen thee: NSBATUAA
Technology cuts both ways. I will sleep better at night if I know the advance killing equipments all require billions of R&D and billions more in manufacturing supply chain/infrastructure, rather than something that can be 3d printed in a cave. Of course, if you're the person in a cave with a 3d printer, this is probably an uplifting news. . . .
And they can give them gentle female voices that say "Hello!" before they start to shoot!
The equipment needed for this kind of additive manufacturing is on the order of 300.000 -1.000.000 USD. Furthermore, it is only viable for special parts that cannot be easily manufactured by traditional techniques, e.g. turbine blades and such. Grenade shells abso-fucking-lutely would be cheaper made by traditional metalworking. I would say a traditionally fabricated mortar shell is about 500 times cheaper than additively manufactured.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
The US military has been working with 3D printing for quite some time, at least since the early 2000's. The were doing additive printing using metal to make thins such as vehicle replacement parts. One one was printed it was then machined to the required tolerances an used; the printed parts were as, if not more, durable than the original. One of the uses was to reduce the supply chain by forward deploying the printing capability with instructions rather than having to procure, ship and stock replacements at various locations; or having a unit wait a few days while one was sent from the US. In addition, rarely need parts ould not need to be procured and stocked. A ship could carry one as well greatly reducing the time needed to procure a spare. If instructions weren't already available a lab in the US could create and send them.
I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.
"During testing, RAMBO successfully fired 15 shots without showing any sign of deterioration. The ammunition itself was also 3D printed, based on the M781 40mm training round. U.S. Army researchers selected this particular round because it doesn't require any explosive propellants the use of which are have not been proved safe with 3D printed objects. "
So the headline should read: US Army Unveils 3D-Printed Toy Grenade Launcher Called IOAFTR
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
I work with a lot of veterans and I have a number of active duty friends, in various services. I can tell you exactly none of them would look to Rambo as role model for being a good soldier. Its also true that they are committed to defending this country, they have to be face death; so yes they enjoy a bit flag waving and they occasional phallic weapons system display. Finally names like this are fun, and they bring some levity to what otherwise would probably some hard stuff to carrier around mentally. I don't see anything wrong with it. In fact I think its a good thing for the rest of society.
We need to remember the reason you have a military is to kill people and break things. Its what they do at their core. Sometimes that is the only way to deal with people who don't like us and seek to cause us harm. Which is not say they can't be effective at delivering food stuffs and building sanitation systems when the situation calls for that but they might not actually be the best tool for that job. A chisel might work as a flat head screw driver but its not safe for the operator, not good the chisel, and has lots of potential to damage the surrounding work. We need to remember what the military is for and let that inform how we direct resources to it and where we deploy it for what tasks. Naming a grenade launcher something that clearly indicates what its for anti-personnel isn't really so bad.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
And they can give them gentle female voices that say "Hello!" before they start to shoot!
...or "Dispensing product".