Advanced Individual Combat Weapon
Encyclopedia
The Advanced Infantry Combat Weapon (AICW) was a prototype
assault rifle
based on the F88 Austeyr being developed in Australia
. The AICW combines a standard 5.56 mm assault rifle with a multiple-shot grenade launcher
.
The AICW was developed by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation
(DSTO) in alliance with Metal Storm and Tenix Defence Systems, receiving funding primarily through the Australian Government's Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) program.
The M203 40 mm grenade launcher is currently the most common weapon of this type. The M203 is an add-on to the assault rifle, fitting beneath its barrel. However, the single-shot M203 has ergonomic disadvantages with two sets of triggers and sights, and the operator has to change firing stance to change from firing the rifle to operating the grenade launcher.
The AICW aimed to provide the infantry
soldier with the ability to fire multiple grenades without having to reload, and to switch between 5.56 mm ballistic
rounds and 40 mm grenades without changing sights, trigger or stance, giving the operator more versatility and reduced reaction times in combat.
Since the 40 mm grenade launcher entered service in the early 1960s the United States Army
has been trying to develop a weapon with a capability similar to the AICW. The latest attempt, the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) project, was launched in 1986 but abandoned in 2004 having not achieved its aims, largely due to excessive size and weight of the weapon.
AICW, with its stacked round grenade launcher, did not require the weight, volume and complexity of conventional mechanical loading. This made the weapon more compact and potentially far lighter. For further information see Australian Minister for Defence Press Release in 2005.
Development of the weapon ceased following the successful demonstration of the technology and the completion of the CTD program.
"Under this upgrade, the working system of the Austeyr will be kept stable, but it will be open architecture to facilitate the attachment of a range of current and future accessories. It will also look at improving the man-machine interface," Mr Perkins said.
"Thales Australia through a joint research and development project with Kord Defence is taking a simple analogue system and turning it into a digital system. The Austeyr will effectively become a digital platform."
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
based on the F88 Austeyr being developed in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The AICW combines a standard 5.56 mm assault rifle with a multiple-shot grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
.
The AICW was developed by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation
Defence Science and Technology Organisation
The Defence Science and Technology Organisation is a branch of the Australian Department of Defence which researches and develops technologies for use in the Australian defence industry....
(DSTO) in alliance with Metal Storm and Tenix Defence Systems, receiving funding primarily through the Australian Government's Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) program.
The M203 40 mm grenade launcher is currently the most common weapon of this type. The M203 is an add-on to the assault rifle, fitting beneath its barrel. However, the single-shot M203 has ergonomic disadvantages with two sets of triggers and sights, and the operator has to change firing stance to change from firing the rifle to operating the grenade launcher.
The AICW aimed to provide the infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
soldier with the ability to fire multiple grenades without having to reload, and to switch between 5.56 mm ballistic
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
rounds and 40 mm grenades without changing sights, trigger or stance, giving the operator more versatility and reduced reaction times in combat.
Since the 40 mm grenade launcher entered service in the early 1960s the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
has been trying to develop a weapon with a capability similar to the AICW. The latest attempt, the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) project, was launched in 1986 but abandoned in 2004 having not achieved its aims, largely due to excessive size and weight of the weapon.
AICW, with its stacked round grenade launcher, did not require the weight, volume and complexity of conventional mechanical loading. This made the weapon more compact and potentially far lighter. For further information see Australian Minister for Defence Press Release in 2005.
Development of the weapon ceased following the successful demonstration of the technology and the completion of the CTD program.
The Land 125 Soldier Combat System Project 2008
The future Austeyr will also almost certainly host internal circuitry to link its bearer to a diverse range of rapidly developing sighting systems as well as a host of non weapon battlefield electronic equipment without their hands leaving the rifle.Thales Australia is working with Kord Defence Pty Ltd to develop a Rifle Input Control (RIC), which is a push button controller attached to the front grip of the rifle, enabling the bearer to operate a range of electronic devices by pressing single or multiple buttons, called chords:"Under this upgrade, the working system of the Austeyr will be kept stable, but it will be open architecture to facilitate the attachment of a range of current and future accessories. It will also look at improving the man-machine interface," Mr Perkins said.
"Thales Australia through a joint research and development project with Kord Defence is taking a simple analogue system and turning it into a digital system. The Austeyr will effectively become a digital platform."
External links
- Metal Storm homepage
- http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2001smallarms/lee.pdfMetal Storm AICW presentation at National Defense Industrial AssociationNational Defense Industrial AssociationThe National Defense Industrial Association is an association for the United States government and the defense industry. Based in Arlington, Virginia, NDIA was established in 1919 as a result of the inability of the defense industry to scale up the war effort during World War I...
conference] - Metal Storm AICW photos
- Article from world.guns.ru
- AICW brochure on Tenix Web-site, including picture
- Image of the AICW
