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Exclusive: True Velocity Forms Strategic Alliances with Dillon Aero and General Dynamics
Chris Mudgett - January 22, 2019
G&A is here to bring you news that True Velocity is announcing a couple of very strategic alliances, bringing them steps closer to its intended goal of supporting the warfighter with a revolutionary new form of small arms ammunition.
Alliance with Dillon Aero
Dillon Aero is best known for its bullet-hose, the M134D minigun, in service with the U.S. Military and 30 of its allies. Mounted on everything from small MATV’s to rotary-wing aircraft, the M134D is capable of firing in excess of 3,000 rounds of 7.62 NATO per minute.
“Dillon Aero is excited about partnering with True Velocity,” said Dillon’s Nick Perfetto, vice president of business affairs. “Their advanced technology and weight reduction bring an advanced level of capability to today’s warfighter. The combination of True Velocity’s ammunition and the Dillon M134D on the battlefield is a game changer!”
Following a lengthy period of rigorous safety and functionality testing from both ground and aerial platforms, True Velocity and Dillon Aero have agreed to a strategic partnership aimed at providing the U.S. military’s rotary wing and ground units with a firepower solution that is far more effective and reliable than any other small-caliber solution currently available.
True Velocity has been working closely with Dillon Aero to validate the effectiveness and reliability of their composite-cased ammunition in the M134D weapon system, firing thousands of rounds through the minigun over the course of the last year. The M134D reliably cycles True Velocity’s ammunition, a claim that no other composite-cased ammunition can make. Even brass-cased ammunition has had reliability issues in the M134D.
To put it in perspective, the standard loadout on a AH-6 “Little Bird” equipped with an M134D is 6,000 rounds of 7.62 NATO. As compared to brass-cased ammunition, True Velocity ammunition yields a 240-pound weight savings per basic payload, which allows the helicopter to take on enough additional fuel to allow for 39 additional minutes of flight time.
One of the concerns associated with the M134D is the way it can cook-off live rounds with brass-cased ammunition. A cook-off occurs when a cartridge sits in a hot chamber and spontaneously fires because the powder inside the case becomes hot enough to ignite.
Dillon has a 1,500-round test they run on the M134D and found brass-cased ammunition will cook-off after sitting in the chamber for anywhere from 3 to 60 seconds. Using True Velocity’s composite-cased ammunition, Dillon recorded a 20-percent lower bore temperature (thanks to the case insulating the chamber), which ultimately led them to a 2,200-round test on the ammunition. Dillon had to wait 5 minutes before one case got hot enough to melt — but the bullet never left the barrel. The absence of cook-offs in a Minigun should bring a welcome sigh of relief from end users.
Next Generation .50 Caliber Machine Gun
The developmental partnership will also extend to Dillon Aero’s forthcoming M503D .50-caliber machine gun, which the company expects to field before the end of 2019. Designed for employment by air, land and sea, this new gun will feature three barrels and the ability to shoot 1,500 rounds per minute. It is said to be lighter, faster and smarter than existing .50-caliber machine guns.
In July 2018, the U.S. Army awarded contracts to five companies to develop prototypes of the Next Generation Squad Weapons Systems to replace the M4 and M249 platforms.
One of the contracts went to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), who partnered with True Velocity to support its new weapon systems. True Velocity’s composite case design will yield significant ballistic improvements over traditional brass-cased ammunition, while also reducing the weight of a loaded cartridge, improving accuracy, decreasing thermal heat signature and diminishing wear and tear on the weapon system.
Weight Savings
The most obvious difference between brass-cased and composite-cased ammunition is a weight reduction of 30 percent, on average. While most of us are not overly concerned with the weight of ammunition as it relates to aviation, the guys on the ground should pay attention.
A basic loadout for any soldier is seven magazines for a total of 210 rounds carried. Switching nothing but the ammunition to True Velocity’s composite-cased 5.56 NATO cartridges allows the same soldier to carry 300 rounds at the same weight. If sticking with the 210-round basic load, the weight savings would allow that same soldier to carry more water or mission-essential equipment.
Chris Mudgett - January 22, 2019
G&A is here to bring you news that True Velocity is announcing a couple of very strategic alliances, bringing them steps closer to its intended goal of supporting the warfighter with a revolutionary new form of small arms ammunition.
Alliance with Dillon Aero
Dillon Aero is best known for its bullet-hose, the M134D minigun, in service with the U.S. Military and 30 of its allies. Mounted on everything from small MATV’s to rotary-wing aircraft, the M134D is capable of firing in excess of 3,000 rounds of 7.62 NATO per minute.
“Dillon Aero is excited about partnering with True Velocity,” said Dillon’s Nick Perfetto, vice president of business affairs. “Their advanced technology and weight reduction bring an advanced level of capability to today’s warfighter. The combination of True Velocity’s ammunition and the Dillon M134D on the battlefield is a game changer!”
Following a lengthy period of rigorous safety and functionality testing from both ground and aerial platforms, True Velocity and Dillon Aero have agreed to a strategic partnership aimed at providing the U.S. military’s rotary wing and ground units with a firepower solution that is far more effective and reliable than any other small-caliber solution currently available.
True Velocity has been working closely with Dillon Aero to validate the effectiveness and reliability of their composite-cased ammunition in the M134D weapon system, firing thousands of rounds through the minigun over the course of the last year. The M134D reliably cycles True Velocity’s ammunition, a claim that no other composite-cased ammunition can make. Even brass-cased ammunition has had reliability issues in the M134D.
To put it in perspective, the standard loadout on a AH-6 “Little Bird” equipped with an M134D is 6,000 rounds of 7.62 NATO. As compared to brass-cased ammunition, True Velocity ammunition yields a 240-pound weight savings per basic payload, which allows the helicopter to take on enough additional fuel to allow for 39 additional minutes of flight time.
One of the concerns associated with the M134D is the way it can cook-off live rounds with brass-cased ammunition. A cook-off occurs when a cartridge sits in a hot chamber and spontaneously fires because the powder inside the case becomes hot enough to ignite.
Dillon has a 1,500-round test they run on the M134D and found brass-cased ammunition will cook-off after sitting in the chamber for anywhere from 3 to 60 seconds. Using True Velocity’s composite-cased ammunition, Dillon recorded a 20-percent lower bore temperature (thanks to the case insulating the chamber), which ultimately led them to a 2,200-round test on the ammunition. Dillon had to wait 5 minutes before one case got hot enough to melt — but the bullet never left the barrel. The absence of cook-offs in a Minigun should bring a welcome sigh of relief from end users.
Next Generation .50 Caliber Machine Gun
The developmental partnership will also extend to Dillon Aero’s forthcoming M503D .50-caliber machine gun, which the company expects to field before the end of 2019. Designed for employment by air, land and sea, this new gun will feature three barrels and the ability to shoot 1,500 rounds per minute. It is said to be lighter, faster and smarter than existing .50-caliber machine guns.
In July 2018, the U.S. Army awarded contracts to five companies to develop prototypes of the Next Generation Squad Weapons Systems to replace the M4 and M249 platforms.
One of the contracts went to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), who partnered with True Velocity to support its new weapon systems. True Velocity’s composite case design will yield significant ballistic improvements over traditional brass-cased ammunition, while also reducing the weight of a loaded cartridge, improving accuracy, decreasing thermal heat signature and diminishing wear and tear on the weapon system.
Weight Savings
The most obvious difference between brass-cased and composite-cased ammunition is a weight reduction of 30 percent, on average. While most of us are not overly concerned with the weight of ammunition as it relates to aviation, the guys on the ground should pay attention.
A basic loadout for any soldier is seven magazines for a total of 210 rounds carried. Switching nothing but the ammunition to True Velocity’s composite-cased 5.56 NATO cartridges allows the same soldier to carry 300 rounds at the same weight. If sticking with the 210-round basic load, the weight savings would allow that same soldier to carry more water or mission-essential equipment.
