AAR-90
| Antimatter Assault Rifle - 90 | |
|---|---|
 The AAR-90, chambered in the 6 mm antimatter hydrogen bolt. | |
| Type | Assault rifle, service rifle |
| Place of origin | Interstellar Federation |
| Service history | |
| In service | 3229 - present |
| Used by | Interstellar Federation |
| Wars | War on Piracy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Axiom Defence |
| Designed | 3220-3229 |
| Manufacturer | Axiom Defence United Arms Technologies |
| Unit cost | 5522 IcR |
| Produced | 2595 - present |
| No. built | Over 500 quadrillion built |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.5 kilograms (7.7 lb) |
| Length | 97 centimetres (38 in) |
| Cartridge | 6 x 60 mm Antimatter Hydrogen Bolt |
| Cartridge weight | 10 grams (150 gr) |
| Caliber | 6 millimetres (0.24 in) |
| Action | Electromagnetic linear accelerator |
| Rate of fire | Maximum |
| Muzzle velocity | 3,779 metres per second (12,400 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | Effective range: 2,300 metres (2,500 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 6,500 metres (7,100 yd) |
| Feed system | 50 round magazines or 200 round drums |
| Sights | RAD-5 hologram sight projector |
The Antimatter Assault Rifle - 90 is an Concordian designed fully automatic assault rifle that is chambered in the 6 mm x 60 mm antimatter hydrogen bolt, an intermediate antimatter cored cartridge encased in an osmium jacket. Developed from 3220 and in service from 3229, it has since become the standard Interstellar service rifle of the Valkyries and has proved to be one of the most effective, reliable and rugged firearms ever produced. It is only able to be used by augmented or exo-skeleton-assisted troops as the recoil upon firing would shatter a regular' human's arm.
Design
The AAR-90 is chambered in 6 x 60 mm antimatter hydrogen bolt and is a magazine fed full-length automatic assault rifle with select-fire ability. It is operated through an electromagnetic linear accelerator that consists of an array of 90 electromagnets arranged in the form of two parallel rails that propel the ammunition to a muzzle velocity of 3779 m/s or Mach 11. Compared to previous railgun rifles, the AAR-90 is compacts far more electromagnets and uses a more efficient energy delivery system. This allows for the AAR-90 to achieve higher ballistic properties than previous rifles, increasing the damage upon impact, with an estimated muzzle energy of 69447 joules and extending the reach of the rifle to up to 2.5 kilometers. The main downside with this power is that it creates so much recoil, a single shot would shatter the arm of anyone that did not have reinforced bones or a exo-skeletal suit which could absorb the impact.
Energy source
The AAR-90, as a railgun rifle, requires a large amount of energy for operation. Since the rifle produces a muzzle energy of approximately 70 kilojoules per round, or 3500 kJ net muzzle energy for a 50 round magazine, this means the rifle needs to provide an electrical output of at least 1 kilowatt hour for every magazine. Thus the AAR-90 is powered by a 1.5 megajoule capacitor bank that is charged by a micro-fusion reactor cell located in the stock of the weapon. In practical use, the capacity of the AAR-90 is infinite provided ammunition is supplied. In addition, the railgun features an energy recycling system which allows up to 30% of energy expended on firing a round to be reused by the gun.
Ammunition
The ammunition of the AAR-90 is the 6 x 60 mm Antimatter Hydrogen Bolt, or AHB for short. It is a 10 gram (150 grain) osmium jacketed round that works like a miniature sabot penetrator, containing a miniscule amount of anti-hydrogen. Once the round impacts upon a target, the intense kinetic energy totally vaporises the round and causes the antimatter to be in contact with ordinary matter, annihilating instantly in a large explosive energy blast. This makes these seemingly small rounds very deadly and effective against armoured, shielded or unprotected targets.