Everett, Wash.-based Wave Motion Launch Corp. has won a contract worth nearly $1.6 million from the U.S. Army to continue development of its Jet Gun technology.
Wave Motion’s Jet Gun concept involves firing a jet of supersonic gas to push a projectile to high speeds. Since there’s no physical structure or barrel surrounding the projectile, the system has the potential to be up to 100 times more compact than a rocket or conventional cannon of equivalent power. Also, the barrel-less launcher can handle projectiles in a variety of sizes — which gives the Jet Gun an advantage in logistically challenged environments where ammunition of a particular caliber isn’t available.
In a news release, Wave Motion says it will work with the Army’s DEVCOM Armaments Center to prototype and test a version of the Jet Gun that can be used in tactical indirect fire applications.
