This mortar could someday deliver an ammo resupply during battle

Christian Lowe
Nov 1, 2018 8:57 PM PDT
1 minute read
Army photo

SUMMARY

Ambushed on a patrol and going Winchester on ammo? Here’s the fix: call for mortars.

Ambushed on a patrol and going Winchester on ammo?


Here's the fix: call for mortars.

A new US Army patent claims new technology can deliver emergency resupply with a mortar round. (Photo: U.S. Army)

That's what a new Army patent is trying to do by developing a new way to deliver resupply in tough situations via a mortar shot.

[Editor's Note: The original Army story link is not active]

The so-called "Ammunition Resupply Projectile" would be a special section attached to the mortar round that could be guided by GPS navigation and steer itself right where soldiers need it.

Talk about "danger close."

"This concept allows a guided package to be delivered with incredible accuracy — 10m CEP — within minutes," said Ryan Decker, one of seven named on the patent application, according to the Army.

The Army wants to develop a tube-launched projectile that deploys a navigable payload in flight to accurately deliver the supplies to a distant target.

A tail section is secured to the payload deployment section, which includes a steerable decelerator system, the Army says. The tail section incorporates the guidance and navigation system and a parafoil control mechanism.

Schematic illustration of a resupply mission. Projectile is fired toward the downwind direction of a stranded solider. In flight, the guided parafoil payload is released, which then executes an optimized maneuver to accurately reach the target. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)

When the payload is first separated in flight it acts like a shell to protect the cargo and it is guided to the intended target via the parafoil with the aid of the guidance and navigation system.

Thanks to new parafoil technology developed by Professor Oleg Yakimenko of the Naval Postgraduate School dubbed "Snowflake," the cargo's guidance system can be packed small enough to allow room for extra supplies.

Engineers wanted something that could help "a Soldier pinned down during battle, who depletes his supply of ammunition and currently has no reasonable method of resupply until rescue arrives," Decker said.

"This invention is even more beneficial when it is realized that the payload can be easily swapped from ammunition to any device of similar size, such as additional resupply items, surveillance electronics, or even a submunition which can all be delivered accurately and on target," Decker added.

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