Weapons

New artillery round uses ramjet for extra range

Raytheon Missiles & Defense is developing a ramjet-propelled shell that will double the range of US military artillery to over 100 km (62 mi). Working under a US$7.9 million US Army contract, the tactical 155mm XM1155 Extended-Range Artillery Projectile is designed to combine increased range with precision targeting technology.

An artillery piece is about as simple a device as it's possible to imagine. Basically, it's a tube sealed at one end containing a propellant sitting behind a projectile. When the propellant is ignited, it produces hot gases that blow the projectile out of the tube to land a long distance away.

However, though this technology has been around for over 500 years, artillery is still a major component of the world's armies and navies, and there is still a lot of room for improvement to make such weapons more accurate and with a longer effective reach.