Located in the center of Athens just several hundred yards from the Athens Hilton hotel is the Greek Ministry of Defense War Museum.  Opened in 1975, the museum’s mission is to gather, safeguard and display military artifacts and memorabilia of Greek history to reinforce the national memory and highlight the historic continuity and unity of Hellenism.

The outdoor exhibits feature a fine display of a number of howitzer light field guns, anti-aircraft and mountain artillery pieces from different periods used by the Greeks, or their war booty.  These include a French 47mm M1937 Puteaux, Bofors Mk I Rapid Fire 40mm AA gun, Hotchkiss 25mm M1938 light AA gun and two unique armored metal horse drawn carriages each armed with a Krupp-Schuman Model 1899 57mm gun.  These carriages were used by the Central Powers during World War I and are spoils of the Hellenic army from the Bulgarian army in 1918.  Also on display are some aircraft used by the Hellenic Air Force that include a replica 1912 H. Harman, Bell helicopter OH-13S, F-5A, F-104, F-84F, T6-G Harvard and F-86D.  Guarding the entrance to the museum building is a British 40mm Model 1940 Pom-Pom gun used by the Greek Navy in World War II.

Inside the museum, the first floor is dedicated in twelve specially laid out halls devoted to antiquity, the Alexander Years, Byzantium, Latin and Turkish rule, the National Uprising, the Greek War of Independence in 1821 and the New Hellenic State.  The exhibits display the arms and armor of these periods and include pikes, spears, swords, cross bows, daggers, armor and early European rifles and pistols.

The mezzanine level is dedicated to the action and contribution of the Greeks to the success of allied operations against the Axis forces during World War II including Sacred Company, El Alamein, Rimini in North Africa and Middle East, Italy, the Aegean Islands and the coast of Normandy.  The Occupation, Resistance and Liberation of Greece complete the section on World War II.  There is a separate section on the mezzanine that highlights the contributions of Greece to the United Nations mission to Korea.

Weapons on exhibit on the mezzanine level are displayed both openly and in enclosed glass display cases with placards identifying the weapons in both Greek and English.  Mannequins in various uniforms add to the well thought-out displays.  While the display of heavy machine guns, light machine guns, submachine guns, rifles, bayonets, pistols, grenades and mortars are highlighted, they of the common WWII variants; but they are well represented by the United States, Britain, French, Italian, Czech and German origins as used and encountered during World War II.

The museum is housed in a purpose built building and is well thought out in its layout and displays.  If visiting Athens, it is time well spent to visit this museum.  The museum is located at the corner of Vassilissis Sophias Avenue and 2 Rizari streets in the center of Athens.  The museum is open weekdays except Monday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Admission is free.

Be sure to make arrangements to visit the museum during the next Defendory International show in Athens, Greece, October 2010.

A nice representation of selected artillery pieces embellish the terrace level of the Greek war museum.

A Russian DP, Browning M1919A6 and M191A4 surround a flame thrower – all used by the Greek army.

Along the mezzanine level hallway are two examples of early French machine guns used by the Greek army: the Hotchkiss Model 1914 and St. Etienne Model 1907.

British 40mm Model 1940 Pom-Pom gun used by the Greek Navy in World War II stands guard at the entrance to the Ministry of Defense War Museum.

Armored metal horse drawn carriage armed with a Krupp-Schuman Model 1899 57mm gun. Used by the Central Powers during World War I, they are spoils of the Hellenic army from the Bulgarian army in 1918.

(English translation of C.G. Haenel’s press release)

The traditional Suhl company, Haenel, has created a sniper rifle system for police and special forces use.  The RS8 (Rifle System) is a bolt-action rifle that, according to the manufacturer, sets new standards in ergonomics and modularity.  With the first, the rifle can be adapted to the marksman, with the second attribute it can be adapted to the situation in which it is to be used.   Designed as a system from the start, the RS8 is a state-of-the-art rifle using the best available materials and production technologies.  The rifle was developed together with experienced weapon designers and people with practical police experience.

Many Interfaces and Fittings
A large number of fittings, based on Picatinny rails, allow the system to be expanded with standard accessories such as the Parker-Hale or Harris bipods.  The system has been optimized for Zeiss/Hensold telescopic sights and night-sights and can be delivered fully calibrated for these components.  The rifle system is, however, compatible with all precision sights.

Suhl Arms Alliance
C. G. Haenel produces as part of the Suhl Arms Alliance, a group of industrial and small gunsmith companies in the Suhl region.  Through this alliance it has the ability to use cold hammered barrel and CNC technologies.  The production processes meet the industrial standard ISO 9001 and NATO Standards.   Through the use of CAD technology, a completely new precise trigger unit was constructed.  Free pull, resistance, position and trigger resistance (8 to 20 N) are all freely adjustable for every marksman’s requirements.   In addition to its quality management system and logistic and service ability, C.G. Haenel will be offering buyers in the police and military areas a comprehensive documentation and service package.

A Brand Steeped in Tradition
In the 20th Century, C.G. Haenel was known as an innovative automatic weapon producer – known through brothers Hugo and Hans Schmeisser, weapon designer and senior managers.  During the GDR years, the company was integrated into the industrial conglomerate Thälmann-Werk and produced air guns and small caliber sporting weapons.  The RS8 System was developed in 2008 and Haenel goes to great lengths to point out that this is not a sport variant of a sport or hunting rifle, but is a special development designed for a specific market.  However, a sporting rifle variant is in planning.

Caliber and Variants
There will be three variants on offer from the start: a basic version in calibers .308 Win and 300 Win. Mag. with 600 mm and 630 mm barrel lengths; a handy compact version, with a 510 mm barrel in caliber .308 Win. and a variant for sub-sonic ammunition, the RS8 Subsonic with a 350 mm barrel and a special silencer.  The weight of the weapon will vary between 5.3 kg for the basic and 4.9 kg for the subsonic.  The total length lies between 1,160 mm (Basic) and 1,040 mm (Compact).  The RS8 in .338 Lapua is in development.

C.G. Haenel GMBH
Schützenstrasse 26
98527 Suhl / Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 3681 854 257
Fax: +49 (0) 3681 854 201
info@cg-haenel.de
www.cg-haenel.de

There are several types and styles of AR-15/M16/M4 rail systems available today and most seem to have at least one thing in common: they are all too wide to suit the liking of Jack Starnes of DoubleStar Corp.  This observation led to the design and manufacture of the DS416 and DS420 two-piece rail system.

At a width of less than 2 inches, the difference in feel is immediately apparent to the user.  Even thinner than standard factory handguards, end users desiring an upgrade to a drop-in, 4-position, 2-piece, Mil-Std-1913 railed handguard can make the change and retain a slimmer forend than available before.

The handguards are manufactured from 6061T6 aluminum to exacting tolerances.  Every mil-spec accessory mounted on these rails fit as intended and no discrepancy was noted.  With the lack of any noticeable lateral movement everything mounted tight, even when removed and replaced, exceeding expectations when optical sights were returned to near zero despite removal and replacement.  The finish is a non-reflective hard-coat anodizing.

The DS416 (DS420 for full-length size) rail is easy to install and absolutely rock-solid once in place.  With no tools necessary, the standard handguards are removed by retracting the delta ring and lifting off in a normal fashion.  They are simply replaced in the same manner with the 2-piece DS416 Handguard.

The DS416 Handguard is alpha-numerically marked in every other groove to facilitate the removal of an accessory and replacement to the same position.  In order to simplify the exact accessory or optic placement, the rails are marked with a prefix for each position. (L=Left, R=Right, T=Top and B=Bottom).

Although thousands of these carbine-length (DS416) handguards have already been sold worldwide, the full-length (DS420) handguards were only recently introduced at S.H.O.T. Show in Orlando, Florida, USA in January 2009.  The manufacturer’s suggested retail price on the DS416 is $139.99 and for the DS420 it is $189.99.  They are available from www.jtdistributing.net or by contacting them at:

J&T Distributing
Dept. SADJ
Box 430
Winchester, KY 40391
USA
Phone: 859-745-1757

2009 Chinn Award:  Joel M. Goldman
Each year at the NDIA Small Arms Annual Meeting, the George M. Chinn Award is presented annually to honor a government or industry individual who, in the opinion of the Small Arms Systems Division Executive Board, has made significant contributions to the field of small arms and/or infantry weapons.

Joel M. Goldman has devoted almost forty years in the pursuit of better ways to design, develop, and manufacture small arms weapons, ammunition, propellant and explosives.  Joel has had a long and diversified career working for the US Government.  His career began working as an engineer working on research and development related to small arms propellants.  He worked on the development of a Pilot Line for ball propellant at Badger AAP.

Other notable programs that Joel was involved with as Chief of the Joint Service Small Arms (JSSAP) Program Office included: the Advanced Combat Rifle Assessment, in which four weapons concepts were tested against the baseline M16A2 rifle.  Ammunition Concepts included a caseless ball concept, a brass-cased flechette concept, a duplex concept and plastic-cased flechette concept.  The results of the test failed to demonstrate an increase in hit probability over the M16A2 under the stress conditions of the test.

The next major programs Joel was involved with as the Chief of the JSSAP Office were Technology Objective Programs such as the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) and the Objective Crew Served Weapon (OCSW) Program.  The OICW introduced technology such as miniature electronic time fuzes and small caliber air-bursting munitions.  It also introduced integrated range-finding, sensors, ballistic computer fuze setter technology and adjusted aim point fire control.  The OCSW introduced technology to include air-bursting munitions in a crew-served configuration, new recoil mitigation, self-correcting fuzing, and Laser Steering target tracking.

Under Joel’s direction, JSSAP conducted a series of assessments for technology work to include: modified bullets and propellants; alternate cartridge case materials; alternate weapons mechanisms; miniature electronic time fuzes; advanced laser range finders; individual/vehicle mounted fire control systems and MEMS safe and arm devices.

The current major project under Joel’s direction at JSSAP is Lightweight Small Arms Technologies.  The joint program is an effort to design and develop lightweight ammunition and weapons, while maintaining or improving the lethality and reliability over the current small arms weapons.  The program is evaluating caseless ammunition and case telescoped ammunition being fired from a lightweight machine gun.  Modeling and simulation are being used extensively throughout the program for designing, prototyping and testing the ammunition and weapons concepts as well as the integrated system.  Value to the warfighter include: weight reduction of 40% for the ammunition and 35% for the weapon as well as reduced volume, improved training and maintenance and a decreased logistics burden.

Joel M. Goldman has devoted almost forty years to making significant contributions to the field of small arms.  He starts each day thinking of ways to improve the equipment in the hands of our soldiers.  His life-long commitment to small arms is evident and therefore is a deserving recipient of the 2009 Chinn Award.

What is the Chinn Award?
The George M. Chinn Award is presented annually to honor a government or industry individual who, in the opinion of the Small Arms Systems Division Executive Board, has made significant contributions to the field of small arms and/or infantry weapons systems.  A significant contribution is considered to be a creative invention, new design or innovative concept in small arms weapons, ammunition or ancillary equipment that provides an advancement in the state-of-the-art or capability enhancement that clearly benefits the warfighting or general military capability of the United States.  The Chinn Award may also be conferred as recognition to an individual who has performed sustained superior service in a career field of science, engineering, test and evaluation, manufacturing, program management, academic study and research, publishing or maintenance relating to military small arms or infantry weapons.

The Chinn Award is named in honor of Lt. Col. George M. Chinn, a career Marine Corps officer who dedicated his life to the study, development and refinement of machine gun mechanisms.  Lt. Col. Chinn is remembered for his work as a gun designer and for having compiled a five volume reference work entitled The Machine Gun.

Past Chinn Award Winners
1988: Thomas E. Cosgrove
1989: James Ackley
1990: John S. Wood, Jr.
1991: Roderic A. Spies
1992: not awarded
1993: Edward C. Ezell
1994: Richard E. Brown
1995: Joseph Unterkofler
1996: C. Reed Knight, Jr.
1997: Robert A. Trifiletti
1998: George E. Kontis
1999: Vernon E. Shisler
2000: Salvatore A. Fanelli
2001: L. James Sullivan
2002: Ernst Mauch
2003: Phil Baker and Georges Chauveheid
2004: Ronnie Barrett
2005: Rich Audette
2006: Richard Swan
2007: Bill Dittrich
2008: Troy Smith
2009: Joel Goldman

2009 Ambrose Industry Award:  Otis Technology Inc.
At the tender age of 15, when most girls are more concerned about their looks and boys, Doreen Marks Garrett, founder and CEO, was enjoying one of her numerous interests; hunting with her father, Jerry Williams.  It was during this hunting trip that she missed a step, stumbled and fell.  The muzzle of her rifle impacted the soft ground and was plugged with dirt.  Not being able to clean the rifle, her day of hunting was ruined.  But this misadventure has changed the way the armed forces and hundreds of thousands of sportsmen and women world wide clean their weapons.  Garrett was determined to find a way to prevent any possibility of having another hunting trip ruined, so she set to work trying to develop her own gun cleaning kit that she could carry and have available when and if she needed.

In 1985 when she was 16, and after numerous trials and failures, Doreen Garrett designed the first breech to muzzle cleaning kit; the first of the numerous Otis cleaning kits to be developed.  This first kit was called “The Whole Kit and Caboodle”.  This same year, Garrett attended her first SHOT Show in Orlando, Florida.  Unable to gain access due to her age, she returned to her hotel and changed clothes, added makeup and returned to the convention center.  Access was granted and when she departed, she did so with orders for three hundred kits.  Doreen Garrett, her mother and father sat to work at the kitchen table manufacturing the kits so she could fill the orders.  In 1990, Garrett got her first Small Business Administration loan for $97,000 to renovate her parent’s barn enabling her to move the expanding operation from the kitchen table.  1997, with six employees, Garrett moved the operation from the family barn to an abandoned hardware store in Lyons Falls, New York.  Then in 2005, production moved to a new 43,000 square foot plant.  The plant has since expanded twice: a 23,643 square foot addition was added in early 2008, and most recently, finalizing a 16,000 square foot, state of the art warehouse and automatic warehouse system.

Today, almost 25 years, since that fateful slip and numerous pitfalls, Garrett, with the help of her family, has revolutionized how we clean our weapons and has become one of the premier producers of firearms cleaning products in the world.  Otis Breech-to-Muzzle Cleaning systems are widely regarded by experts as the most advanced gun gleaning systems in the world.  Their product is in service today with the US Armed Forces, Law Enforcement professionals, and the worlds’ best hunters and marksmen.  Otis Technology, Inc. has been operating for 25 years and Garrett has received numerous awards along the way, including:

2007: Fast Track 50, ranking 3rd in the over $10 million category;

2007: Automated Best Value System Award presented by the Defense Supply Center Columbus;

2008: recognized as the fastest growing company in Central New York by the Fast Track 50;

2008: Proclamation in Recognition at the Lewis County Court House, Lowville, NY.

Otis Technology currently has specialized cleaning kits for the US Armed Forces that are designed to clean all weapons from caliber .22 up to and including 40mm grenade and supplies tens of thousands of these kits through an active GSA contract to our warriors yearly. Garrett is a customer focused business person and ensures that customer’s desires or concerns are addressed as soon as possible and new items are designed and manufactured, customer tested and made available as soon as possible. Otis’ Breech to Muzzle cleaning philosophy has all but made the old cleaning rods obsolete. The Otis cleaning kits are designed to be inexpensive, compact, light (about 1/2 lb), portable and easy to use, thus ensuring every soldier has the right equipment to keep his weapon clean, lubricated and ready to fire when and if the need arises and, as an added plus, proper cleaning can actually prolong the service life of the weapon.

In 2006 Otis Technology opened a $1.3 million on-site day care center to provided low cost day care for their employees as well as reduced day care cost to residents in Lyons, NY.

Otis Technology has made vast advancements over the past 25 years to become the largest manufacturer of gun cleaning products in the United States. Otis holds more than 35 patents, 14 trademarks and sells gun cleaning kits worldwide to military and law enforcement agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Army and U.S. Navy. Their annual sales were in an excess of $40 million this past year.

Otis has demonstrated that they are deserving of the prestigious Ambrose Industry Award.

2009 Hathcock Award:  Robert J. Thomas, U.S. Navy (retired)
(Picture not available at press time)

Robert J. Thomas is considered by many to be the Founding Father of Joint Special Operations Weapons.

In the late 1970s, Special Operations Forces (SOF) first began using flashlights and infrared aiming lasers on guns, in addition to limited numbers of night vision goggles and night vision sights provided by the parent services.  Not until 1986 would Congress require the President to create a unified combatant command specifically for global special operations roles, missions, and tasks, and, unique among other combatant commands, that would control its own resources, research, development and acquisition.  Until USSOCOM unified Army, Navy and Air Force Special Operations units, the weaponry allocations for units were a systemic nightmare.  Every SOF unit had its own allotment of non-standard peculiar weapons and accessories; more than 120 different varieties of small arms existed in Special Forces, Rangers and SEALs.  Their “homegrown” lasers, flashlights and silencers were rudimentary and most could not stand up to weapon recoil nor combat environments.  Most commercial aiming accessories of the time were not “ruggedized” and often failed firing combat insertions and gunfights.  In short, SOF small arms and aiming devices were ineffective and unsupportable.  The first USSOCOM Commander, General James Lindsay, U.S. Army, set about resolving small arms and aiming equipment inconsistencies.  He established the joint SOF weapons and aiming systems that would be standardized across SOF forces.  A destructive Capabilities Master Plan unified ground combat weapons, ammunition and sighting systems under a coherent joint roadmap.  Robert J. Thomas was instrumental in the formulations of this plan, particularly for Sniper Rifles, the SOF Offensive Handgun and Stand-off Weapons.  Following this capability planning effort, USSOCOM developed joining requirements documents for united systems.  During the next 15 years, USSOCOM established several Joint Special Operations small arms and weapons programs at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, that would directly address the Operational Requirements articulated by Robert Thomas.

MK23 Mod 0 Offensive Handgun Weapon System (OHWS) “SOCOM Pistol”
Robert Thomas was the operationally experienced shooter behind the requirement for the Mark 23 handgun.  Over 2,500 weapons were fielded to US SOF units as a result of this successful program.  While the Mark 23 handgun was not accepted by many SOF units (due to its size and bulk), Thomas’ contention that to be effective, a handgun must deliver a larger surface area, higher in velocity projectile than the 9mm NATO and the .45 ACP ammunition has been recently validated.  Current commanders and forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are demanding a more compact handgun that will deliver the accuracy and lethality of the MK 23.  Additionally, another result of the OHWS program was the AN/PEQ-6 Laser Aiming Module, a standardized handgun aiming module that is still thriving today and is the foundation for all modern light and laser aiming device.

MK11, MK12, MK13, and MK15 Sniper Systems
Robert Thomas was the person that shaped the requirements for the SOF family of sniper rifles.  His experience as a champion long range shooter and operational sniper formed the basis for writing Operational Requirements for light, medium and heavy sniper rifles.  His early articulated Sniper Rifle Operational Requirements were the genesis of the currently proliferated Joint SOF Sniper Rifles and have resulted in the U.S. Army adoption for semiautomatic sniper systems chambered for the 7.62mm bolt-action .300 Winchester Magnums and bolt-action rifles for the .50 caliber BMG.  Robert Thomas could well be called the father of the modern family of SOF joint sniper rifles.

Continued Service to the Global War on Terrorism
Robert Thomas continues to serve with distinction fully researching weapon trends and aiming devices being utilized in current conflicts.  Thomas has evaluated SOPMOD and SOF weapons aiming doctrine through the eyes of a SOF operational sniper.  His experience in long range shooting and marksmanship in all operational arenas from the Arctic mountains, to Equatorial jungles, through the deserts of the Horn of Africa and the Middle East, has provided invaluable insight as to the most effective employment of current weapons and technologies.  Robert Thomas is presently employed in both the SOPMOD Program for small arms training and doctrine development, as well as the SOF Weapons Program, providing expertise to the Precision Sniper Rifle project.

The operational experiences that Robert Thomas gained as a Naval Special Warfare Sniper (and father of the NSW Sniper Course), Officer in Charge of the Navy Rifle and Pistol Team, military competitive shooter and weapons development officer, provided him with unique insight into the operational requirements for Special Operations Forces long-range weapons and aiming devices.  His dedication to duty and contributions to United States Special Operations Forces small arms capabilities are unmatched.  The years of Naval Special Warfare operations and depth of knowledge that Robert Thomas brings to all of the SOPMOD SOF Weapons programs is superb, but perhaps his greatest contribution lies in the stream of graduates of the Naval Special Warfare Sniper Course, who continue to perform superbly in all operational theatres of the world.  These snipers best represent the Robert Thomas philosophy: “A SOF warrior cannot carry enough ammunition to ever miss a shot.”  Robert Thomas most recently was entrusted with the new USSOCOM development project for sniper laser aiming and range-finding.

Awards
Navy Cross: Armed action RVN;
Bronze Star (Combat V): Armed action RVN;
Purple Heart: Wounded in action RVN;
Navy Commendation Medal (Gold Star in lieu of second award) in recognition for development of NSW small arms, Navy JSSAP representative and leadership of Navy Rifle and Pistol Team;
Meritorious Service Medal for development of Strike-Naval Special Warfare Tactics and Doctrine;
Distinguished Master Rifle and Pistol Shooter;
President’s Hundred Rifle Shooter (four times)

Combat and Military Accomplishments
1967: Graduated Underwater Demolitions Team (UDT/R) training and assigned to UDT-22;
1968: Assigned SEAL Team 2; Ordnance Petty Officer; Stoner Armorer;
1969: Deployed to the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) as Detachment ALPHA Seventh Platoon Ordnance/Platoon Sniper;
1969: March – shot down by enemy ground fire while conducting sniper reconnaissance aboard a Navy Seawolf and awarded Navy Cross for subsequent defense of helicopter crew;
1970: Instructor SEAL Team 2 small arms training, selected for the All Navy Rifle and Pistol Team;
1977: Navy Representative to JSSAP and validated Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) requirement;
1978: Attended Army (Rock Island) and Navy (Crane) Armorer’s Courses;
1979: Wrote Operational Requirement and developed the .50 caliber Special Application Sniper Rifle (SASR);
1980: Wrote Operational Requirement for Naval Special Warfare .300 Win Mag Sniper Rifle and developed final loads within Judge Advocate General (JAG) guidelines;
1981: Developed and instituted Special Air Service, Australian Army Sniper course;
1983: Developed and instituted Naval Special Warfare Sniper Course;
1984: Wrote Naval Special Warfare Patrol Leaders hand book;
1984: Wrote Operational Requirement for Sniper Security Rifle and developed an effective, rugged, scoped M14 Sniper Security Rifle;
1985: Wrote Naval Special Warfare Sniper Manual and Winter Warfare Manual;
1986: Wrote Operational Requirement for Naval Special Warfare Stand Off –Weapon Systems and validated the Carl Gustav 84MM recoilless rifle;
1993: Wrote Operational Requirement for Mark 23 SOF Offensive Handgun and associated special ammunition and validated the handgun and ammunition through final acceptance;
2007: Wrote the new field combat manual for the M4A1 Carbine using SOPMOD accessories.

Marksmanship/Match Accomplishments
1970: Atlantic Fleet/All Navy/Inter-Service/National Matches and earned points toward Distinguished in Excellence-In-Competition Rifle Matches at all levels;
1971: Pacific Fleet/National Championships; Distinguished Excellence-In-Competition Rifle;
1978-81: Won Pacific Fleet/All Navy Rifle and Pistol Championships and Distinguished Excellence-In-Competition Pistol;
1982-1983: Won Western Australian Service Rifle and Pistol Championships;
1984-1993: Won Pacific Fleet and All Navy Rifle and Pistol Championships.

The Carlos N. Hathcock II Award is presented to recognize an individual, who, in the opinion of the Small Arms Section Steering Committee, Armaments Division, National Defense Industrial Association, has made significant contributions in operational employment and tactics of small arms weapons systems which have impacted on the readiness and capabilities of the United States military or law enforcement.  A significant contribution is considered to be: superior performance of duties in an operational environment or the development of tactics or training.

What is the Hathcock Award?
The Hathcock Award is named in honor of Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock II, a career Marine who dedicated his life to the service of this country in both the military and law enforcement communities.  He was honest, tactful, considerate, courageous, quietly proud and determined in all things and all places from the range to the battlefield.  “The Gunny” not only distinguished himself in combat as a scout-sniper but also as a competitive marksman and trainer.  In his capacity as a trainer he not only significantly impacted the current United States Marine Corps Scout-Sniper program but also influenced the sniper programs of the other military services and similar law enforcement programs nationwide.

Past Winners
1999: Carlos Hathcock
2000: Charles B. Mawhinney
2001: Bart Bartholomew
2002: Jim Owens
2003: Larry Vickers
2004: Steve Holland
2005: Pat Mitternight
2006: Allen Boothby
2007: American Snipers.org
2008: J. Buford Boone
2009: Robert J. Thomas

Dr. Philip H. Dater was born in the latter part of April, 1937 on Manhattan Island in New York City.  He has two brothers, Tom and Sheldon, and a sister Emilie.  Dr. Dater has two daughters from his first marriage, Diana and Valerie, and one daughter Julie with his wife, Jane, to whom he has been happily married for over thirty years.  He is one of the brains behind Gemtech and his private consulting practice with Antares Technologies has done a lot behind the scenes for the modern small arms community.  Dr. Dater is considered by many to be one of the most innovative and perhaps most copied suppressor designers of the last half century.

Dr. Philip H. Dater, “Phil” or “Doc” to his many friends, has been an industry fixture in the small arms community for decades.  He has mentored many of the newer designers, as well as being responsible for working with other scientists in the community to smooth out the protocols for sound suppressor testing and publicizing these to help standardize the testing procedures.

Doc Dater started his first suppressor designs in the late 1950s, making rudimentary suppressors equal to others of the era, and he worked on various weapons designs throughout that period on a private level.  In the mid-1970s, Doc Dater started Automatic Weapons Company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to properly register his designs and begin small scale manufacturing of suppressed firearms.  This small business allowed him to be one of the pioneers of modern sound suppression in firearms.  Many of his designs from that era were copied by other manufacturers.  By the mid-1980s, Doc Dater’s business had reached a point where it was time to make the next step, and he worked with Lynn McWilliams to create AWC Systems Technologies, a well known firearms suppressor manufacture that is still active in the law enforcement and military communities today.

Dr. Dater conducting sound tests on a modern version of the WWII era.45acp DeLisle Silenced Carbine, while in Europe at a discreet manufacturing facility. (Photo by Dan Shea)

Dater left AWC in the early 1990s and moved to Idaho, and by 1994 had teamed up with other innovative designers to form Gemini Technologies – called Gemtech today.  Gemtech is one of the major firearms suppressor designer/manufacturers servicing the military community.

While Dr. Dater has worked with the other talented individuals in Gemtech, he has also pursued his private consulting work with his company, Antares Technologies.  As Antares Technologies, Doc Dater has been involved with numerous firearms firms and think tank programs on modern small arms.  Antares has the most modern sound testing equipment as well as thermal imaging, high-speed photography, and material evaluation/analysis equipment that completes Dr. Dater’s testing and prototyping abilities.  He has consulted with numerous manufacturers and government groups, and several times a year teaches seminars either on-site at client’s facilities or at regularly scheduled two day seminars at Long Mountain Outfitters’ facility in Henderson, Nevada.  These training seminars include the history, development, and designs of sound suppressors, sound wave theory, testing protocols, and live fire testing of modern and historical designs.

Dr. Dater is available for consulting on firearms and sound suppressor products, and is a regular contributor to technical firearms magazines.

Contact info: Philip H. Dater, MD, (208) 938-2173, antarestech@ctcweb.net

The US Army’s programmes for developing two different 25mm grenade launchers – the shoulder-fired XM25 from Alliant Techsystems and the crew-served XM307 ACSW (Advanced Crew-Served Weapon) by General Dynamics – are probably the most ambitious small arms projects in existence.  They are meant to revolutionise the effectiveness of small-arms fire by detonating HE/fragmentation grenades directly over the target, thereby greatly increasing the number of casualties, not just of standing men but also those hiding behind cover.  Such rounds are known as HEAB (High Explosive Air Burst) or ABM (Air Bursting Munition).

To achieve this requires some sophisticated technology.  The XM307 is fitted with a day/night sight with a laser rangefinder, a ballistic computer and a fuze-setter.  The gunner first lases the target to establish the range (this can be overridden if the target is at a slightly different distance than the aiming point); the system then takes atmospheric conditions and weapon tilt angle into account before indicating the aiming mark in the sights.  The gunner can set the fuze mode for airburst, PDSQ (point detonating super-quick), PD delayed-action or deactivate; it also contains a self-destruct element.  The projectile fuze measures the distance by counting the number of rotations: its spin rate is 21,000-28,000 rpm. The XM25 uses the same technology, with a shorter, lower-velocity cartridge limiting the range to around 700m rather than 2,000m.

The XM307 was originally intended to replace most of the .50 M2HB and 40mm Mk 19 AGLs, while the nearest comparators to the XM25 are the much bulkier six-shot revolvers chambered for the low-velocity 40mm grenade round, such as the  Milkor MGL, adopted by the USMC as the M32.  Adoption of the XM25 might therefore be expected to lead to a reduction in the use of the 40mm LV (low velocity) weapons, if not their eventual disappearance.

The manufacturers of 40mm GLs and ammunition are not taking this lying down, however, and have come up with a range of new developments to keep their products attractive.

Ammunition for Shoulder-Fired Grenade Launchers
The 40x46SR low velocity (LV) grenade round has now been around for almost half a century, originally chambered in stand-alone single-shot guns like the M79, but subsequently in underbarrel grenade launchers (UGL) such as the M203, and more recently the six-barrel revolvers mentioned above.  The muzzle velocity is only 250 fps, limiting the maximum range to about 400m.

The original round fired was the M406 HE/fragmentation type, and High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) rounds have also been available for some time, enabling these launchers to be used to tackle light armour.  Some recent developments have considerably extended the versatility of this round.  From Arcus of Bulgaria comes the AR476 “Anti-Diver” grenade which has a time fuze which is set on impact with the water, detonating the HE at a stated depth of between 5 and 12 metres and with a claimed lethal radius of 12m.  They have also introduced the AR466 “Bouncing” ABHE grenade which on impact is kicked back up into the air by a small nose charge before detonating, to increase the lethal radius – not a new idea, but a very much cheaper way of providing some of the effectiveness of the sophisticated HEAB systems.  A similar RLV-FJ “Jump” round is offered by Arsenal, also of Bulgaria – a country which appears to be innovating with enthusiasm in this field.

More effective conventional ammunition has also been developed, with the latest trend being Medium Velocity (MV) rounds, with the muzzle velocity increased to between 350 and 410 fps, thereby doubling the effective range.  Recoil is claimed to be similar to that of a 12 gauge shotgun, and well below that of a rifle grenade, and they are designed to be used in many existing LV systems.  At a range of 150m the mid-range trajectory will be halved to about 3m and flight time is reduced.  The first in the field was Martin Electronics’ “Mercury”, which is significantly longer than standard 40mm HE rounds to make room for a larger HE charge, doubling the destructive power as well as the range of the conventional M433 HE grenade.  Nammo Raufoss, Heckler & Koch and now Denel of South Africa are also developing MV ammunition, while Arcus have developed “extended range” versions of their HE and ABHE products, capable of about 600m.

IMI and STK are even developing High Explosive Air Burst LV rounds to deliver the same effects as the XM25, although these do of course need to be used in conjunction with special sights with a laser rangefinder and fire control computer, and also a launcher modified to include an electronic fuze setter.  IMI have developed the compact and lightweight Orion sight which offers these facilities and can be fitted to any rifle in conjunction with a modified UGL.

Martin Electronics 40mm LV “DRACO” thermobaric grenade.

Martin Electronics have also introduced a thermobaric round, the DRACO; a type of explosive which is proving particularly popular in some larger weapons in use in the Middle East because of the effectiveness of its high blast overpressure in enclosed spaces such as buildings and caves.  The round is very expensive, however, so attention is now being focused on the much cheaper Hellhound.

The peacekeeping roles which armies frequently have to adopt have generated growing interest in Less-Lethal ammunition for riot control and similar policing activities.  Many manufacturers now offer a very varied range of irritant chemical, impact, combined and paint marker ammunition too extensive to describe here.  Although such munitions have traditionally been used in specialised 37/38mm riot guns, they are increasingly available for the 40mm LV grenade launchers – and, in a few instances, for the 40mm HV AGL as well.

Other types of rounds which are not directly lethal include various smoke and flare types.  There are also some novel developments, most notably the observation rounds containing parachute-borne video cameras that send pictures directly back to the operator, providing an instant view of what lies over the hill or around the corner.  Both STK (with the SPARCS) and Martin Electronics (with the HUNTIR) have developed such rounds for 40mm LV grenade launchers, while the Rafael Firefly, still in development, is equipped with folding “wings” rather than a parachute.

Many of the new rounds are longer than standard, at up to 5.5 inches.  In contrast, ammunition for the semiautomatic XM25 is limited in size (the maximum length is only about 3.5 inches), and cannot hope to emulate the variety of types now available for the 40mm LV GLs, which will be with us for the foreseeable future.

40mm AGLs
The success of the original 40mm LV grenade rounds rapidly led to the development of fast-firing weapons chambered for them, but almost as quickly the need for greater range was realised, so the 40x53SR high velocity (HV) cartridge was developed.  This had the muzzle velocity increased to around 800 fps which, in conjunction with a heavier grenade (about 240g compared with 180g), increased the effective range out to 2,000m.  The first automatic grenade launchers (AGLs – also known as grenade machine guns or GMGs) chambered for this round were externally powered and designed for installation in helicopters: the M75 and M129 both seeing service in Vietnam.  Far more important, however, was a self-powered design, the Mk 19.  This was developed in the late 1960s as a USN project but was subsequently adopted by other services, as well as achieving substantial export sales.

Since then, and particularly since the 1990s, a number of rival AGLs have emerged from several different countries: the Spanish Santa Barbara (now General Dynamics Santa Barbara Sistemas) LAG 40 SB, the Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK) 40AGL and Light Weight AGL, the Heckler & Koch HK40 GMG (recently bought by the British Army), South Africa’s Denel Y3 AGL, and other weapons from Romania, Poland, Turkey and Pakistan.  Of most significance to the USA is the CG40, a joint project between three companies, commencing in 1995: Nammo (ammunition), General Dynamics Canada (Fire Control) and Saco Defense (now a part of GD) who developed the gun and dealt with system integration.  Some 400 are in service with US special forces, ordered between 2001-5, under the designation Mk 47 Striker.

The HV ammunition used in these guns has not shown the variety found in the LV rounds, partly because of the narrower range of uses of the AGLs and partly because the need to function in an automatic mechanism restricts the characteristics – and particularly the overall length – of the cartridge.  However, a great deal of attention is now being paid to the development of the same kind of airburst technology as that being tested in the XM307.

Nammo 40mm HV PPHE rounds.

The way is being led by Nammo Raufoss, who have developed HEAB ammunition as a part of the CG40 project, under the designation PPHE (Programmable Pre-fragmented HE).  The gun was designed for this from the start, the necessary systems being integrated into the weapon.  These include an image-intensifying video sight linked to a laser rangefinder and incorporating a ballistic computer to indicate the exact aiming point, and an electronic fuze setter by the gun breech.  When used with the appropriate ammunition fitted with the Mk 438 programmable time fuze, the system sets the appropriate time delay on the fuze while it is in the chamber (the gun fires from a closed bolt) so that the grenade bursts directly over the target.  The gun can also use conventional point-detonating 40x53SR ammunition, with which the advanced sights are still useful in providing a high level of accuracy.  The Mk 285 HEAB projectile produces fragments which are mainly distributed sideways and backwards to catch troops behind cover, rather than forwards as with a conventional grenade.  An initial order for 39,000 of this round has been placed for use in the Mk 47 Striker, with deliveries expected to be completed by early 2008.

Nammo are also working on a variation of this system for guns, such as the HK40 GMG, which fire from an open bolt.  The chosen system is radio frequency programming, the fuze being set about 4 to 5 metres after the grenade has left the muzzle.  Since all of the system requirements are contained within a single sight/fire-control/programming unit, this can be fitted to any gun able to mount the unit.

There is yet a third HEAB system, from STK of Singapore; the ABMS (Air Bursting Munition System), which can also be fitted to existing 40mm AGLs.  This was developed in conjunction with Oerlikon-Contraves Pyrotec AG of Switzerland, who adapted the technology developed for their 35mm AHEAD cannon ammunition.  As with AHEAD, the fuze-setting system is attached to the muzzle and sets the fuze as the grenade leaves the barrel.  Like the Nammo systems, special grenades are used with an all-round fragmentation pattern, so they throw fragments behind them as well as in front and to the sides; the Oerlikon/STK type contains 330+ tungsten balls, each weighing 0.25g and intended to penetrate at least some grades of body armour.  The effective range of the system is 40 to 1,600m.

Sectioned 25x59B HEAB for XM307 ACSW.

In the rush to airburst systems, the value of the conventional (and much cheaper) ammunition has not been forgotten.  Nammo have developed a ‘product improved’ M430 HEDP round at the request of the USMC, who have asked for a mechanical self-destruct fuze, a modified (NICO type) propulsion system, insensitive munition (IM) properties using a PBXN-11 main charge, additional incendiary after-armour effect, penetration improved from three to four inches of RHA, and a reduced safety zone to prevent the base of projectile from being blown back towards the gunner (the current limitations being 310m in peacetime, 75m in wartime).  Internal Nammo qualification of this round is expected in spring 2008.

While the 25mm XM307 offers certain advantages, notably gun and ammunition weight plus a much flatter trajectory and shorter flight time, the 40mm AGLs clearly have a lot of life in them yet.  Their ability to fire inexpensive standard ammunition as well as sophisticated HEAB rounds means that they are likely to remain popular long after the XM307 enters service.

At the 22nd annual Small Arms and Cannons Symposium held in August 2008 at the Defense Academy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to simply as “Shrivenham” for the small town in England where the event is held, Volker Kurtz, formerly with Heckler & Koch GmbH for nearly two decades, received the coveted NDIA Professional Service Award for his dedication to the small arms end user, to advancing the state-of-the-science of small arms systems, and to the industry as a whole.  Less than two NDIA Professional Service Awards are presented annually to deserving members of the international small arms community for exceptional career achievements in small arms and ammunition development and fielding.

A former German Army Infantry Officer prior to 1987, Major Kurtz was recognized for his instrumental work as the International Program Manager for Heckler & Koch in the concept, development, testing, and contractor program management and fielding of various US and foreign-friendly small arms, ammunition, weapon subcomponents and complex integrated weapon and fire control systems, both incremental COTS and new R&D program starts that occurred “under his watch” while at H&K from 1990 to 2007.

Volker Kurtz was the Contractor Test Director for the leading candidate during the US Army Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) Field Experiment during the early 1990s.  While not fielded, the HK G11 ACR candidate completed the 18 months of rigorous technical and user testing with no system failures and was considered field ready; a first for a caseless ammunition firing assault rifle.  At the conclusion of the US ACR Program, Volker Kurtz performed duties as Contractor Program Manager for the bid proposal, development, testing and eventual fielding with US SOF forces of the USSOCOM MK23 MOD 0 Offensive Handgun Weapon System; the most reliable and accurate .45 caliber handgun in the world and the first .45 handgun fielded in the US since the venerable US M1911 handgun was adopted nearly one century ago.  During the 1990s, Volker Kurtz was the Subcontractor Program Manager for the winning bid proposal, development, testing and component integration of a team of subcontractors for the US Army Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) which lead to the further development of the evolutionary XM29, XM8 and XM25 weapon systems.  For his part in this successful program, Volker was recognized with the “Silver Award for Excellence and Innovation” by then parent company BAE Systems.

Volker Kurtz was also instrumental in the development and testing, and eventual fielding, of various COTS small arms and accessories to include the HK416 Enhanced 5.56mm Carbine, SA80 High Reliability Magazine, 40x46mm Grenade Machine Gun (GMG), MP5/10 submachine gun, G36 rifle, MP7A1 PDW, and various other material items currently deployed with numerous US and foreign-friendly military, special operations and law enforcement organizations, to include more than 55,000 USP/P2000 handguns currently in service with the US Department of Homeland Security and TSA.

Throughout his time in the small arms industry, Volker Kurtz performed all manner of duties to insure successful mission completion regardless of the obstacles.  This included long periods of time away from home during on site support for the US ACR, MK23, OICW, XM8 programs, countless program meetings and test events as well as customer visits for briefings, new product development and customer service calls.  Volker Kurtz always provided a “return to reality” in R&D programs veering off course and is famous for reminding program participants of the limits of the laws of physics as they apply to small arms with famous sayings like, “That is when Isaac Newton drops the apple on your head,” reminding us all that not always everything dreamed is obtainable due to the limits of current and emerging technology and materials.  Volker Kurtz has always been highly respected for his strong work ethic and ability to manage complex programs and tasks.  Volker was always willing and available to go the extra mile, to lead from the front in any and all taskings regardless of difficulty or duration.

Volker Kurtz has helped in many ways to advance the current state-of-the-art in small arms and ammunition for the American war fighter and law enforcement community.  For that success and dedication, he is wholly deserving of the recognition provided by the NDIA Professional Service Award.  Upon accepting this award Volker acknowledged the importance of focusing on the real needs of the end user and the contributions of not one man but that of the team.

There are two small arms conferences in the West that this author considers to be the most important in the world for the serious small arms community to attend: the NDIA Small Arms Symposium held every May in the United States, and the Small Arms and Cannon Symposium at Shrivenham held every August in the UK.  While there are many excellent, larger trade shows that have some educational aspects to them, these two conferences stand out as events that encourage the dialogue between the shakers and movers in small arms design and end use.

There are differences between the two events, and how they are focused.  NDIA is the larger of the two, but the sister event at Shrivenham has a very personal quality to it that keeps it popular with attendees, and important to the community.

The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom sponsors many defence related scholarly events every year.  The Symposia at Shrivenham had its 22nd annual Small Arms event in August of 2008.  The normal schedule was followed: three days of short lectures on various subjects interspersed with breaks in the trade show exhibit area to share coffee, snacks, luncheon and tea with the exhibitors.  This format has worked quite well in the past allowing breaks from the lectures and close interaction with the exhibitors.

Lennart Ljungfelt, President of Aimpoint, shows the BR8 Fire Control System that he gave a presentation on. This appears to be one of the fastest 40mm target acquisition sights ever made. It was recently demonstrated for NATO and hopefully this system will be tested at the NDIA Small Arms Symposium Live Fire Demonstration in May in Las Vegas. www.aimpoint.se

There were approximately 15 seminars in the lecture program; here are some examples of the seminars attended by the participants:

• Less-Lethal Ammunition presented by Anthony Williams

• Nammo’s .50 Caliber Ammunition Family by Jorn Amundsen

• New Extended Range Shoulder Fired 40mm Grenade Systems by Danie Els

• Aimpoint BR8 by Lennart Ljungfelt

• Incremental Excellence; Tomorrow’s State-of-the-Art Assault Rifle Today by Jim Schatz

• NATO Infantry Weapons Standardization by Per Arvidsson

• Current and Future UK Small Arms Capability by Lieutenant Colonel James Daniel, MBE

• UK Soldier Modernization Update by Colonel Peter Rafferty, MBE

SADJ would like to encourage the small arms community to lend their support to the 23rd Small Arms & Cannon Symposium in August of 2009.  Hope to see you there.

“For the first twenty minutes I thought Mike was certifiably mad.”  – General Wayne Downing, Former Commander of US Special Operations Command

Downing recalled this troubling observation from his initial contact with the intensely focused O’Dwyer, who was making yet another in a seemingly endless string of impassioned but ultimately futile sales presentations in Australia and America.

But that quickly changed.  “After thirty minutes I realized that Mike had stumbled on probably the most revolutionary thing that could be done with firearms in about the last five hundred years,” Downing said.

The retired General, a legend in the Special Operations community, was so impressed with O’Dwyer’s radical invention that he accepted the top position at Metal Storm Limited, coming aboard in October 1999.  Over the next seven years, Downing’s reputation and contacts are said to have contributed substantially to multimillion dollar government contracts for further development of the technology in various novel applications.

Midnight Brain Storms
Going Ballistic, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation television documentary from 2000, has a collection of fascinating interviews with O’Dwyer himself and key persons in his life and work.

Through it we learn that the inventor admits to being “not a particularly good student” during his high school years in a small town in Queensland, Australia.  Interested primarily in the odd combination of physics at school and working on cars in his stepfather’s auto repair business, after graduation he chose to enter the workplace rather than continue on to college.

O’Dwyer’s personal and professional traits contributed to a quick rise to management level in retail and then in founding his own highly successful food wholesale company.  But his compulsion for invention would not relent and the products of inspiration when he would awaken suddenly in the middle of the night began to fill a bedside sketchbook.

His son Sean recalls pages upon pages of “engines and wings and carpets and electrical points… maybe 50 ideas.”

Passion for invention eventually overcame the need for comfort and security in the business world.  With the blessing of his wife Rhonda, O’Dwyer sold everything in 1991 and literally took a giant step into development of his amusing concept for running shoes cooled by forced air generated from each impact on the ground.

But breezy footwear would soon give way to a dream of fantastic firepower.

Mrs. O’Dwyer recalls the genesis of Metal Storm in 1993 as yet another of her eccentric spouse’s insomniac insights.  “He just woke up and he said ‘I’ve improved the gun.  I’ve got to go and put this on paper,’ and he doodled for an hour or so.”

The revolutionary concept at the heart of today’s Metal Storm technology has been described by its inventor as a modification of the common fireworks Roman Candle so that its projectiles may be initiated with computerized precision.

Doodles eventually took form in a single barrel prototype and, after much ammunition experimentation, proved the practicality of sequential electronic firing of stacked caseless projectiles.  With the system’s enormous military potential clearly foreseen in his fertile imagination, Mike O’Dwyer sought to convince Australia’s military establishment to bankroll further development.

“To say that I was treated as though I was a friendly kook,” the inventor recalls, “would be a polite description of the response.”

Undaunted, O’Dwyer set off to America, only to experience months of futility being rebuffed by every possible contact in the Pentagon.  His luck didn’t change until after the system received a successful technical validation from a major US defense contractor.

This must have been what it took to convince Australia’s Defense Science and Technical Office (DSTO) to take a closer look, soon followed by significant funding and direct collaboration in hardware development.  In addition to facilitating a distinctive trio of Metal Storm weapons from pistol to cannon caliber, the partnership gave much-needed official gravitas.  Now, the “kook” inventor had the backing of serious scientists and engineers from his homeland’s defense establishment.

Blossom Point Demo
The reader is urged to access the MS website www.metalstorm.com and click the VIDEOS link.  Skip the latest postings for now and reach back to July 2000, when several of the mysterious new Metal Storm weapons were live fired for key military and government representatives at the Army Research Laboratory’s Blossom Point Facility in Maryland.

This extraordinary demonstration, a joint presentation by DSTO and Metal Storm, along with new US partner Science Applications International Corporation, was attended by a number of decision makers from DARPA, the American military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.  With deep pockets to bankroll cutting-edge technologies, DARPA’s backing was eagerly sought.

It’s likely that the fellow wearing a straw hat, fleetingly seen in the video, is O’Dwyer himself, cheerfully firing his VLe handgun and touching off a megafast burst from a bench test pepperbox containing six pistol caliber barrels.  This produces a devastating effect on a rack of target boards and then an oddly wired tube blows 40mm holes in a junk car.

While clear tactical applications for these lethal curiosities would not gain real acceptance until several years later, it should be evident to those who view this historic video that the “certifiably mad“ inventor was definitely on to something big.  DARPA’s emissaries apparently agreed and, in November 2000, entered into an unprecedented developmental agreement with DSTO, together committing some $50 million dollars.

This correspondent first met O’Dwyer in May of 2001 at the prestigious NDIA Small Arms Conference, where Metal Storm had a display booth and also presented a formal technical paper to influential US and Allied defense industry personnel.  Having elbowed through the crowd gathered to watch the heretofore little known firm’s dramatic video clips, we were approached by a slight and somewhat owlish fellow who introduced himself as Mike.

Turned out this was the modest but intense inventor, who proceeded to give our modest but intense magazine a personally guided tour of his visionary applications for the decidedly radical Metal Storm System.  Alas, Mike had no hardware on hand to fondle and no planned participation at the annual event’s customary live fire demonstrations.  So we politely listened, accepted colorful brochures and promised to stand by for further news.

Mike made sure we were on Metal Storm’s list for press releases and they began regularly arriving; product pages, as it were, for a growing catalog of delightfully intriguing weaponry.

We soon learned, for example, that techno-spooks at DARPA had awarded more than $10 million to Metal Storm for an “Advanced Sniper Rifle.”  No, the end result wasn’t fielded, but that doesn’t mean the program’s resulting data package for launching innovative projectiles at hypervelocity will not find practical application elsewhere and later.  It’s Metal Storm’s proprietary intellectual property that they just haven’t gotten around to yet for further development.

O’Dwyer continued to promote Metal Storm technology with missionary zeal, envisioning all manner of applications – not just military.  At the heart of its civilian potential was a versatile mortar box with specialized loadings.  These could be for precision fireworks displays, “sky typing” advertising messages, bombarding wildfires with suppressant chemicals, spreading pesticides and fertilizer, and mineral exploration seismology.

Nothing Personal, Just Business
While the scope of this article does not include details of the corporation’s complicated financial history, the wild ride for Metal Storm’s shareholders has been reliably reported over many years.  New applications and new government experimental contracts were periodically trumpeted in press releases and news features, but no real orders for hardware were forthcoming.  Investors, many of whom were regular folks of modest means, were justifiably unhappy.

Veteran insiders in the corporate structure are quick to credit O’Dwyer’s demonstrated genius and tireless promotional contributions.  But, we were told in carefully crafted statements, the time came when it was necessary for “the face of Metal Storm” to step aside.

A corporate press release from February 2005 announced Director O’Dwyer’s retirement with the bland assurance that “he will continue to provide consulting advice to the company from time to time in an informal, unpaid basis.”

The inventor/founder signed over “certain existing and future intellectual property rights,” and agreed to “certain non-competition arrangements.”  Then, in recognition of nearly two decades in building Metal Storm, O’Dwyer received a severance package of a half million Australian dollars (about $345,000 USD).

A gentleman to the end, James Michael O’Dwyer is quoted in the same release with a rather gracious parting shot.  There is much to be learned by those who carefully read it and consider all that has been reported in this feature:

“Over the past twelve months, Metal Storm has been assembling a skilled team of qualified engineers and associated professionals to concentrate on commercialization of the technology.  Now that the team is fully operational, I believe it is time to pass the baton to what is a new generation.  I am confident that under the leadership of David Smith, the team can complete the next stage of the company’s development,” O’Dwyer said.