China unveils new Metal Storm gun that fires millions of rounds per minute

China is pushing the boundaries of weapons technology, again, with the development of a new rapid-fire machine gun that, again, puts it way ahead of the US and its allies in terms of military capabilities. Equipped with at least five barrels the new weapon can fire up to 450,000 rounds per minute per barrel.

This generates an unmatched barrage capable of intercepting hypersonic missiles exceeding Mach 7. By comparison, the US military’s most advanced Phalanx system reaches only 4,500 rounds per minute.

Researchers in Taiyuan, central China’s industrial hub, have devised a novel solution: a replaceable container-like magazine loaded with barrels pre-packed with bullets. After firing, the barrels and the entire container are discarded as a single disposable unit.

The box-style rotary firing system boosts loading speed, reduces barrel wear, and maintains accuracy, enabling multiple strikes, continuous operations, and quick counterattacks. The developments were detailed by Lu Xutao and his team from North University of China in a December paper published in the Chinese Journal of Detection & Control.

Traditional machine guns with mechanical triggers cannot meet the PLA’s requirement of 7,500 shots per second. To address this, Lu and his team designed an electronic trigger using coils, the South China Morning Post reported.

Lu’s team further explained that the contactless trigger works by instantly melting an alloy wire embedded in the bullet, creating a high-energy metal jet to ignite the explosive. This electronic trigger achieves remarkable efficiency, with a firing time of just 17.5 microseconds. According to test data, it is capable of meeting the target performance of 450,000 rounds per minute per barrel, the team noted.

The weapon, known as Metal Storm, was initially proposed by Australian inventor Mike O’Dwyer in the 1990s. His company, Metal Storm Inc, developed a 36-barrel test system capable of firing at an astonishing rate of 1 million rounds per minute. In 2006, O’Dwyer revealed that the PLA had offered $100 million for the technology.

This caught the attention of the US Department of Defense, which partnered with him to explore new battlefield weapon systems. Despite early promise, the project faced technical and logistical challenges, leading to its abandonment and the bankruptcy of Metal Storm Inc in 2012.

However, Beijing has sustained its investment in this technology, leveraging national scientific and technological resources for comprehensive research and development. Publicly available information reveals that some teams are addressing the intricate physical challenges of sequentially firing tightly packed bullets within the barrel.

Some teams have created test bullets equipped with sensors and chips, while others are working on lowering costs and enhancing the reliability of disposable barrels. Furthermore, these efforts have made significant strides in recent years. Many scientists, including Lu, now believe that China’s version of the Metal Storm weapon could exceed the firing rate of the Western prototype from a decade ago by at least ten times, potentially making it a key asset in various military applications.