50 mm solid armature development program at the Electric Armaments Division

A solid armature development program is ongoing at the Electric Armaments Division of ARDEC (the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Center). The program seeks to develop armatures in the 600 KA to 1.0 MA current range using a 5m x 50mm composite overwrap style barrel designed by the Benet Weapons Lab. The structural and electrical performance of both novel and conventional armature geometries were characterized in the 500 to 1800 m/s velocity domain. Armatures were engineered to satisfy acceptable design goals of compliance, temperature rise and performance repeatability. The candidate armature geometries, the engineering design rationale which supports them and the test results are presented.