Producer of the US Army’s Modular Handgun System and Next Generation Weapons SIG SAUER displayed their new robotic systems at the AUSA Annual Meeting this week.
The system consists of three main components: Mule robot, Pitbull Remote Weapon Station, and NG3 Mingun Gatling Gun.
Chambered in 338 Norma Mag, the NG3 Minigun Gatling Gun is from Stone Horse, LLC, a Richmond-based manufacturer. It features four rotating barrels and offers a 2000 rounds-per-minute rate of fire. However, this can be tuned to avoid certain frequencies for aviation applications. The MG3 weighs in at 50 lbs with electrical box.
The Mule and Pitbull are products of General Robotics which was purchased last year by SIG SAUER. We’ve seen Pitbull in the past, which debuted with SIG during the defense products demonstration at this year’s SHOT Show range.
Pitbull weights 85 kg dry and can be configured with a wide variety of weapons and mounted to vehicles, robots and even in static applications as well as on a tripod.
This is the first time we have seen Mule. Equipped with band tracks, it weights 100 lbs with batteries and can be remotely operated or programmed to transit a predetermined route. Additional equipment is available to provide the Mule autonomous capability to assess and negotiate terrain.
SIG’s booth had a couple of other Easter eggs like this pistol equipped quadcopter also from their General Robotics division.
Editor’s Note: I called the Next Generation 3 a “Minigun” because that’s technically what it is, but the M134 is commonly known as a Minigun and this isn’t an M134.
Eric
Hey SSD; can you pls repost that Tom Clancy short you posted I think 2007//2008? In the film were many things including a pistol equipped quadcopter as shown in your article.
$5.75 per round X 2000 RPM = $11,500 a minute, just under $200 a second
It doesn’t even look like it could hold more than a couple minutes worth of rounds.
Lucky for SIG I’m sure they supply the rounds as well and could probably make bank selling the platform at a loss just to gain exclusivity as the only supplier of ammo for it
How much is a missile?
That’s what I’m talking about!!
Just want ask about why the sights seem to be tied with the gun?
Seems problematic if the operator needs to look anywhere bit down range? What happened gimbal cameras?
The Mule they exhibited wasn’t fitted with any additional accessories to facilitate maneuver. It is a platform which accepts modular mission payloads.
How do you do command and targeting at the same time? One camera?
There are multiple cameras on Bulldog.
Last question.
“Chambered in 338 Norma Mag, the NG3 Minigun Gatling Gun is from Stone Horse, LLC, a Richmond-based manufacturer. It features four rotating barrels and offers a 2000 rounds-per-minute rate of fire. However, this can be tuned to avoid certain frequencies for aviation applications. The MG3 weighs in at 50 lbs. with electrical box.” Is this rate of fire downwards adjustable? For example single, 3-5 burst, 600-800, 1200, 2000? Like the 20mm CIWS is 3000-4500rds/min.
The tunability is to avoid frequencies which might interfere with an aircraft it is mounted on.