Lawrence Livermore officials unveil new weapon

modbee ^ | 2-2-06

[LouAvul]

LIVERMORE, Calif. (AP) - Officials at Lawrence Livermore National laboratory have added a new weapon to their armory, a high-powered gun that can fire 3,000 rounds a minute.

The weapons, which are also to be installed at other facilities in the Energy Department complex, were displayed Thursday by Linton Brooks, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Brooks called the new weapons a way to make sure any attempt to storm the nuclear weapons lab is unsuccessful.

"What we want to do is equip our protective force with the capability that will leave no doubt about the outcome," he said. "What we're not trying to do is level the playing field."

The new weapon is a Gatling gun, electrically powered, six-barreled and capable of firing more than 50 rounds a second. The Dillon Aero M134D guns will be mounted on vehicles and cost between $50,000 and $75,000. Lab officials declined to say how many guns they're deploying, citing security concerns.

Lab critics questioned the wisdom of putting a high-tech gun at the lab, which is across the street from suburban homes. They agree that the lab needs to be able to repel intruders but say the real problem is that the main site, which is relatively small at 1 square mile and in a major metropolitan area, isn't a good place for nuclear materials.

"If you don't have the firepower that's one kind of security weakness, but if you do have the firepower you potentially endanger nearby workers and community members because it's such a compact site," said Marylia Kelley, executive director of Tri-Valley CARES, a Livermore-based activist group. "You have homes and joggers and people walking their dogs and kids playing right out on the sidewalk across the street from the site."

[proud_yank]

Wow! What I wouldn't give to go for a ride in one of those.

[proud_yank]

See post 19

[idkfa]

Video

http://freepressinternational.com/dillon.wmv

[xcamel]

Yeeee Ha!

[processing please hold]

Lab critics questioned the wisdom of putting a high-tech gun at the lab, which is across the street from suburban homes.

Good Lord, I guess the home owners think they'd be safer if the place blew up! Morons.

[Drango]

THEY ARE NOT THE SAME! Never-mind, I don't have time to explain the difference to ya.

[Conservative Goddess]

Dang.......no sound.

Gun nut ping......to Badray

[processing please hold]

I want one of those. Man-o-man :-)

[proud_yank]

Awesome!!! How do I post a .wmv file that I have saved? I have a good one you'll enjoy.

[overkill_007_2000]

Awesome! A friend of mine collaborates a lot with Lawrence Livermore Natnl lab. I really have to smile at the fact that new weapons technology are being developed in Berkeley, AKA "Home of the Peace Mom"! Daily flights of Livermore Lab employees leave from the Livermore Airport to Area 51....coincidence? Errrrrr.....maybe????

[overkill_007_2000]

I have got to work on this whole posting thing.

[M203M4]

fap fap fap

Wow!!!!

[proud_yank]

I really have to smile at the fact that new weapons technology are being developed in near Berkeley, AKA "Home of the Peace Mom"!

Collaboration (col·labo·ration) n.

*a partnership
*act of working jointly; "they worked either in collaboration or independently"

Sorry about the confusion.

[MarkL]

In the latest "American Rifleman," they talk about the original Thompson submachineguns, and the fact that the first ones cycled at a rate of 25 rounds a second! That's amazingly fast for a weapon designed in the early 1900s!

Mark

[K-oneTexas]

How is this going to keep the classified inside? Seems more and more over the years that the classified walks out the door on its own.

"Records recently released by the National Nuclear Security Administration within the DOE show that of 87 security incidents at Livermore Lab from 2002 to 2004, 35 were Category 1, defined by the DOE as incidents that "pose the most serious threats to national security interests and/or DOE assets and could potentially create serious security situations."? From 'Livermore security breaches overlooked' at http://lanl-the-real-story.blogspot.com/2005/02/livermore-security-breaches-overlooked.html

[proud_yank]

LOL, I don't care too much for research work, but certain projects do sound rather enticing!

[MarkL]

At 3000 rounds a minute, what I am wondering is who is going to load that puppy? Getting a little old and slowing up, doubt I could keep up.

When I saw the name, I immediately thought, "this is a marketing tool for Mike Dillon!"

Mark

(Mike Dillon owns Dillon Precision, the finest -IMHO- manufacturer of reloading equipment, and an avid machinegun collector and shooter!)

[TC Rider]

That should make an impression.

No, this makes an impression...

For those not in the know, that is the lovely Cathy, one of the favorite Dillon Aero models and star of this year's Dillon Aero calendar. You have to admire a member of the military-industrial complex that has covergirls!

Get yours Here

[ccmay]

I love that video. With that many tracers, it's like shooting a laser beam. It's even more impressive when you consider that only one of every seven rounds is a tracer. Those guns put serious amounts of metal on target.

-ccm

[Dr.Zoidberg]

OOoooooooooohhhhhh Pretty! Mongo want!