China has developed a machine gun with a record rate of fire of 450,000 rounds per minute
Chinese scientists and engineers have created a machine gun capable of firing 450,000 rounds per minute per barrel. The weapon, developed in Taiyuan, can be equipped with up to five barrels, which allows for a total maximum rate of fire of two million rounds per minute, according to its creators.
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With this speed, the machine gun can intercept hypersonic targets travelling at speeds above Mach 7. For comparison, the US Phalanx weapon system reaches only 4,500 rounds per minute.
One of the biggest challenges for the implementation of such a weapon was to ensure a continuous supply of ammunition. The developers solved this problem by creating a container magazine with disposable barrels that can be quickly replaced. This solution, according to team leader Lu Xutao from the Northern University of China, increases the loading speed and reduces barrel wear.
The team of engineers also replaced the mechanical trigger with an electronic trigger, which allows the gun to fire with high accuracy and in a matter of microseconds. The innovation has enabled the target performance of 450,000 rounds per minute to be achieved.
Experiments with super-fast weapons have been conducted before. In the 1990s, Australian inventor Mike O'Dwyer proposed a 36-barrel system capable of firing up to a million rounds per minute. Despite US interest, the project was halted due to technical difficulties, and the inventor's company went bankrupt.
China, however, has continued to invest in the development of such technologies using its own considerable resources. The new machine gun could become a key part of the People's Liberation Army's arsenal and significantly enhance its capabilities in the modern battlefield.
Source: SCMP
