Chinese MALE, HALE (and rotary, small, suicide) UAV/UCAV thread

tankphobia

Senior Member
Registered Member
Nobody posted this yet?

China develops recoil-free AK-47 for drones to advance unmanned warfare​

Bojan Stojkovski
Mon, November 25, 2024 at 1:29 AM GMT+8
2 min read

113
38efd00cd24e4abca9aebca53b92cad8

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways
Chinese scientists have developed an automatic rifle designed for drones, advancing unmanned warfare technology. The weapon fires 7.62mm bullets like the AK-47, with a velocity of 740 to 900 meters per second (2,427 to 2,952 feet per second) at 10 meters, matching the AK-47's power.
The key innovation of this weapon is its nearly nonexistent recoil, described as being as light as tapping a keyboard. This allows even consumer drones or toy robotic dogs to handle and fire the gun with ease, according to the project's scientists and engineers.

From grenade-dropping to precision shooting​

Small drones have been limited to dropping grenades or mortar shells on battlefields like those in Ukraine. Even advanced unmanned platforms and heavily modified
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
struggle to manage the recoil of machine guns, reducing their accuracy and flexibility. A new rifle designed by Professor Liu Pengzhan's team at North University of China's school of mechanical and electrical engineering aims to address these issues, the South China Morning Post
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
.


By drilling a hole at the rear of the gun barrel, the team found they could release the gas shock wave from the gunpowder
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
. To maintain the bullet's speed, they developed a new design with a high-strength seal at the back and an electromagnetic induction chip inside.
When the firing command is given, the chip ignites the explosive, launching the bullet. As pressure rises, it breaks the membrane and vents through the hole, reducing recoil and maintaining high muzzle velocity.
According to the researchers, the gun features a simple structure and low manufacturing cost, requiring only a coil in the barrel to detonate the chip, which is protected by a layer of high-temperature and high-pressure-resistant ceramic.

New weapon design passes multiple tests​

The new weapon design, developed by a team at North University of China with input from military engineers, has proven effective in multiple tests. The project details were published this month in Acta Armamentarii, a peer-reviewed academic journal, where Liu's team confirmed the design's success in overcoming key challenges in unmanned warfare.


During the trials, the rifle was suspended in the air and fired, with its front-to-back swing measuring only 1.8cm, demonstrating its minimal recoil.
China has gained a significant advantage through its industrial capacity in developing such weapons. However, in response to growing concerns over the potential misuse of its innovations and products, Beijing recently added dual-use drone products and related technologies to its export control list.
Furthermore, the North University of China has proven to be a pivotal research institution in crafting such advanced weapon designs, with the collaboration between the university’s academic experts and engineers from various Chinese military industrial enterprises playing a key role in advancing its arms industry.
Is recoil all that important? I have seen some footage of rifle armed drones being used in direct combat roles and they seem more used in a suppressive manner. At the ranges they are being employed you can't really get a clear enough video footage to shoot accurately unless it's some sort of fiber optic controlled drone anyhow.
 

iBBz

Junior Member
Registered Member
You should read the article before you ask the question.

"By drilling a hole at the rear of the gun barrel, the team found they could release the gas shock wave from the gunpowder
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
. To maintain the bullet's speed, they developed a new design with a high-strength seal at the back and an electromagnetic induction chip inside.
When the firing command is given, the chip ignites the explosive, launching the bullet. As pressure rises, it breaks the membrane and vents through the hole, reducing recoil and maintaining high muzzle velocity."
I did read that, but it was a confusing explanation. Mechanisms are best explained in photos or videos, not an essay. The membrane part made me wonder if it was something like a reed valve or something that broke off and needed to be replaced after every shot. Besides that, the explanation did not sound like it was describing a recoil-free mechanism, but rather a low recoil mechanism that wastes energy instead of imparting it onto the projectile, so I thought maybe the AI generated translation was incorrect.


This explanation is barely coherent. Does anyone have the original paper?
Yea the original paper would definitely help us understand it better through Google translate.

Is recoil all that important? I have seen some footage of rifle armed drones being used in direct combat roles and they seem more used in a suppressive manner. At the ranges they are being employed you can't really get a clear enough video footage to shoot accurately unless it's some sort of fiber optic controlled drone anyhow.
It is for unmanned systems. Recoil is very important for a lightweight UAV, especially while firing in full auto. The muzzle climb would throw the UAV off balance from the first shot.
 

tankphobia

Senior Member
Registered Member
It is for unmanned systems. Recoil is very important for a lightweight UAV, especially while firing in full auto. The muzzle climb would throw the UAV off balance from the first shot.

Looks ok to me. Specialised gun drones can be made far more effective than duct taping a gun on a big drone and even this is plenty workable.
 

iBBz

Junior Member
Registered Member

Looks ok to me. Specialised gun drones can be made far more effective than duct taping a gun on a big drone and even this is plenty workable.
That does look good, but exactly what I described is happening in the video. The rifle is yanking on the drone. It's hard to spot in the beginning because of the low zoom, but very clear at around 2:45. The article says their modified AK shoots suspended in the air with a 1.8cm recoil, which is incredible. This has many benefits. Lower vibrations means simpler and lighter mounting systems. Endurance is increased since the motors do not have to work as hard to compensate for the recoil, saving battery life. The lower recoil means the drone is effective at longer ranges, which makes it harder to spot/hear and shoot down. The system would also be effective at hunting down other drones without the need to get close using shotguns or nets etc..

Something like this with a suppressor and a large mag would be an absolute nightmare for the troops on the receiving end.
 

Deino

Lieutenant General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Registered Member
Smaller CloudShadow drones on display at Zhuhai: CS-8 (VTOL), CS-20, CS-30, CS-150, and CS-160.

54167804329_acf524eece_k.jpg


What type of drone is this? Looks more like a small cruise missile or target drone?
 
Top