Yes, I am right you do not understand the system. The rate of fire is controlled by the computer operator. So he could have it fire one round an hour if he choose to. The units are are hoisted into place on the aircraft much the same way a bomber is loaded. The firing is a lot more accurate than what we are presently using.
It appears to be fairly easy to use. As a matter of fact they just signed a deal to determine if the system can be used against torpedo's fired at a ship.
The system has no moving parts for loading and firing the rounds as the rounds are stacked in the barrel, so a barrel amy have 20 projectiles.
Well, that explains why I didn't understand it. This will have to compete with a lot of other weapon systems that can fire one round an hour.
...so a barrel amy have 20 projectiles...
Earlier it was fifty but that doesn't make too much difference at one an hour. Would make a difference at a higher rate.
We still didn't get around to discussing the weight of a loaded "unit."
It would have to display an uncanny level of reliability for anyone to actually consider equipping cops or soldiers with Metalstorm's designs, though. Consider what happens if a charge fails to fire. Not only that round, but all the rounds stacked underneath it, are useless.
Then there's Metalstorm's "Variable Lethality" handgun design. Like a Star Trek phaser, it has setting for "stun" and "kill". The shooter can either launch a beanbag round, or switch to conventional projectiles (and I could swear that I recall reading somewhere that the pistol actually *speaks* when switched to "Lethal" mode, as a warning to fleeing criminals, I suppose. "Danger, Will Robinson!!") Y'know, the camera analogy still holds true. There was a Minolta camera back in the '80s called the "Talker", which spat out instructions in a female voice (with a heavy Japanese accent): "Too dark! Use frash!"
Metalstorm just keeps popping up every year or so, without much (if any) new information added. Things that make you go: "Hmmmm..."