Recent Activities in Electrothermal Chemical Launcher Technologies at BAE Systems

The three-year line of sight/beyond line of sight (LOS/BLOS) electrothermal chemical (ETC) launcher program, funded by the U.S. Army´s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), Picatinny Arsenal, is a comprehensive effort to advance ETC launcher technologies. The program includes development of ETC plasma injectors for 120-mm M829A2s, build of a 100-kJ pulsed power supply small and robust enough to be realistically integrated into a combat vehicle, improvement of power connections to the gun to allow electromagnetic field containment and automated connection to the round, and tests of the completed ETC system with various chemical propellants and electrical energy levels. As part of the LOS/BLOS program, a new, coaxial version of BAE Systems´ Basepad plasma injector has been developed and tested successfully in XM36, XM291, and M256 cannons. The Basepad´s coaxial design effectively insulates the gun breech, thus preventing any part of the gun from being part of the high-voltage discharge circuit. A compact electrothermal ignition pulsed power supply (ETIPPS) has been designed, built, and tested. Including its own high-voltage charger, actuation circuitry, safety systems, and peripherals, ETIPPS´s low weight and volume make it easily small enough for vehicle integration, as was demonstrated in a concurrent effort that included ETC firings from a combat vehicle. Test firings, currently ongoing, have validated the system architecture and performance and continue to supply data on performance at different temperatures, electrical energy levels, propellant loading, and propellant type. These tests demonstrate many of the benefits of ETC launchers including improved accuracy from precision ignition; maximum performance potential across all temperatures ranges (temperature compensation); and reliable ignition of new, high-energy, high-density, and in some cases low-vulnerability propellants. The system-wide approach of the LOS/BLOS electrothermal l- auncher program has advanced ETC technology significantly towards field readiness