Michael_Edelman%Wayne-MTS@um.cc.umich.edu (11/18/89)
From: Michael_Edelman%Wayne-MTS@um.cc.umich.edu
I've been following the current Army program evaluating technology
for a follow-on to the M-16, and two of the entries (Styr and AA-something)
propose a steel flechette with a velocity of around 5000 fps.
While this dart would have great accuracy at long range, and a much
flatter trajectory than current 5.56 or 7.62mm rounds, a few quick and
dirty computations indicate that one of these darts has less kinetic
energy than a .22 long rifle!
Now, the idea of the dart/flechette is not new; it dates back at least
to the SPIW program of the 60s. Is anyone familiar with studies done to
predict or evaluate the lethality of the lightweight flechette? My guess
is that a Mach 5 dart may carry a significant shock wave, but whether
that helps, ???
--michael_edelman@um.cc.umich.edu