US defense contractor Boeing and its Norwegian counterpart Nammo say they have test-fired a ramjet-powered artillery projectile, in another test that has demonstrated the viability of the US Army’s long-range precision fires concept.
During the June 28 test at the Andøya Test Center in Norway, a Boeing Ramjet 155 projectile was fired out of a cannon and its ramjet engine ignited successfully. According to Boeing, it “demonstrated flight stability with a well-controlled engine combustion process.”
The successful trial followed ground-fire tests that were undertaken between January and March this year.
“We believe the Boeing Ramjet 155, with continued technology maturation and testing, can help the US Army meet its long-range precision fires modernization priorities,” said Steve Nordlund, Boeing Phantom Works vice president and general manager. “This successful test is evidence that we are making great progress.”
“This is a historic moment for Nammo,” said Nammo CEO Morten Brandtzæg. “The test results demonstrate that ramjets are viable and can fundamentally change the future of artillery.
“We have great confidence in the ramjet concept,” Brandtzæg added. “The test – with all aspects from cannon firing, to the projectile body, fins, and trajectory all functioning perfectly – represents a real technological breakthrough in artillery, and a major success for Boeing, Nammo, and the US Army.”
Boeing Phantom Works and Nammo have been working together under a strategic partnership to jointly develop and produce boosted artillery projectiles. In July 2019, the Boeing-Nammo team was awarded a contract under the US Army’s XM1155 program to develop and mature the Ramjet 155 projectile.
In May 2021, the team was awarded a Phase II technology development contract.
Ramjet 155 uses an engine in which the air drawn in for combustion is compressed solely by the forward motion of the projectile at supersonic speeds. Considered a hybrid between guided artillery and missiles, the program has an objective of a common round design that can be used in L39 and L58 cannons.
Nammo earlier said the ramjet-powered, guided artillery shell is supposed to have a range of up to 150 kilometers, a range that is five to eight times greater than conventional artillery, a feat it owes to the fact that is a mix of a missile and an artillery shell.
The team said it plans further testing and demonstrations in the coming months.
