Blitzer railgun demo at US Army MFIX
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) successfully demonstrated its Blitzer electromagnetic railgun at the US Army's annual Maneuver and Fires Integration Experiment (MFIX), the company announced on 25 April.
MFIX is an annual exercise that brings together military and industry partners to inform requirements, validate/refine concepts, address capability gaps, and assess solutions for incorporation into the future army warfighting assessments.
During the event, the railgun was fired eleven times at a target at a greater range than previous firings. Following the completion of the experiment, the railgun will be transported to the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah for further testing later in 2016.
Nick Bucci, vice president, missile defense and space systems, GA-EMS, said: 'This event marks another milestone for our railgun team. After the successful test firings of our guidance electronics units at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah one month ago, we disassembled the Blitzer railgun system and transported it to Fort Sill where it was set-up and fired during the MFIX event.
'Our goal was met in showing how our advanced weapon system can be efficiently transported from site to site. Testing our system under real world conditions at different locales enables us to gather the critical data necessary to improve the system's efficiency to meet future customer mobility requirements.'
More from Land Warfare
-
Sweden to purchase IRIS-T air defence systems for $930 million
This recent purchase of the medium-range air defence system adds to the country’s ongoing efforts to ramp up its overall defence readiness and capabilities.
-
GM Defense teams up with NP Aerospace for British Army vehicle requirement
The UK’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP) has three types of vehicles: medium protected, light protected and light mobility (LMV). US company GM Defense and the UK’s NP Aerospace have teamed up to make an offering for the latter. The LMP will replace more than a dozen vehicle types with as few as three or four models.
-
CTAI’s 40mm cannon gains new A3B airburst round for UAV defence
CTA International (CTAI), a joint venture between KNDS France and BAE Systems, developed the 40mm Cased Telescoped Armament System (40 CTAS) for integration onto armoured vehicles. It has been further developed for ships and ground-based systems.
-
What weapons have Israel and Iran been using against each other?
Tehran has been relying on UAVs and ballistic missiles while Jerusalem uses jets, deep fires and precision-guided munitions.
-
Paris Air Show 2025: Fulgur air defence missile revealed in anticipation of potential market
The missile was first unveiled at SeaFuture 2023 and later at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2024. Operational delivery is expected in 2028.
-
Bids in for Canadian Bv206 replacement
If all goes to plan, initial delivery of the selected vehicle could take place in 2029/2030 with final delivery in 2031/2032. The Bv206 were supplied to Canada many years ago and are in urgent need of replacement. More than 11,000 Bv206 were built for worldwide sale.