AAR-90
| Accelerator Assault Rifle - 90 | |
|---|---|
 The AAR-90, chambered in the 6 mm armour-piercing guided bolt. | |
| Type | Assault rifle, service rifle |
| Place of origin | Terran Concordium |
| Service history | |
| In service | 3229 - present |
| Used by | Terran Concordium |
| Wars | War on Piracy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Axiom Defence |
| Designed | 3220-3229 |
| Manufacturer | Axiom Defence United Arms Technologies |
| Unit cost | 5522 CcR |
| Produced | 3229 - present |
| No. built | Over 100 trillion built |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.5 kilograms (7.7 lb) |
| Length | 97 centimetres (38 in) |
| Cartridge | 6 x 60 mm armour-piercing guided bolt B2 class kinetic output |
| Cartridge weight | 32 grams (490 gr) |
| Caliber | 6 millimetres (0.24 in) |
| Action | Electromagnetic linear accelerator |
| Rate of fire | Standard configuration of 800 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 3,850 metres per second (12,600 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | Effective range: 2,500 metres (2,700 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 6,500 metres (7,100 yd) |
| Feed system | 35 round magazines or 100 round drums |
| Sights | RAD-5 hologram sight projector |
The AAR-90 (Accelerator Assault Rifle - 90) is a Concordian designed fully automatic accelerator assault rifle that is chambered in the 6 mm x 60 mm armour piercing guided bolt, an intermediate guided rifle round made of a solid depleted uranium penetrator. Developed from 3220 and in service from 3229, it has since become the standard Concordian service rifle of Paragon and has proved to be one of the most effective, reliable and rugged firearms ever produced.
Design
The AAR-90 is chambered in 6 x 30 mm antimatter hydrogen bolt and is a magazine fed full-length automatic assault rifle with dynamic fire modes. It is operated through an electromagnetic gravimetric accelerator that consists of an array of 90 accelerator units arranged in the form of two parallel rails that propel the ammunition using gravimetric and electromagnetic fields to a muzzle velocity of approximately 3800 m/s. Compared to previous accelerator rifles, the AAR-90 compacts far more accelerator units into the firing mechanism 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 230 kilojoules and extending the reach of the rifle to a maximum of 6.5 kilometers.
Chassis
The rifle's chassis is primarily composed of composite nanomaterials to reduce weight whilst maintaining structural integrity. The accelerator rails are manufactured out of nanonium coated with a metallic matrix to improve durability against wear. The rifle features several attachment rails, with the top rail able to accommodate full length optics and targeting suites whilst separate rails exist on the handguard to accommodate weapon grips, data packages and other non-optical devices. The magazine well features an integrated ergonomic handgrip whilst the trigger guard of the weapon is enlarged to accommodate power-armoured users. The weapon is also by default ambidextrous with all necessary components for operation mirrored on both sides of the gun.
Energy source
The AAR-90, as an accelerator rifle, requires a large amount of energy for operation. Since the rifle produces a muzzle energy of approximately 230 kilojoules per round, or 8050 kJ net muzzle energy for a 35 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 primary ammunition of the AAR-90 is the 6 x 60 mm KEP-251 armour piercing guided bolt, or APGB for short. It is a 32 gram (493 grain) solid flechette of depleted uranium, fitted with a miniature targeting and guidance system located at the end of the round. The guidance system uses a graviton manipulation unit (GMU) to manipulate a gravimetric field around the bolt, allowing it negate bullet drop due to gravity and distort atmospheric particles around it, lessening air resistance. The GMU also allows corrections to the bullet's flight path and trajectory, guiding to accurately hit the target selected in the weapon's central guidance unit.
The extremely high velocity of the KEP-251 allows for extraordinary penetration characteristics for a projectile of its size; featuring over 230 kJ of muzzle energy, it is designed to defeat both modern infantry shielding and power armour. In oxygen-rich atomspheres, the velocity of the KEP-251 often superheats the air, creating a distinctive plasma trail around the bullet.
Variants
AAR-89
The AAR-89 was a prototype rifle design submitted by Axiom Defence for the Rifle 32XX competition to design a new service rifle with the Concordian military. It's primarily differed from the final weapon with a shorter barrel with only 70 electromagnets and a less powerful power supply consisting of a hydrogen cell.
AAR-90
- AAR-90C: shortened carbine version with reduced electromagnet count for close quarters and vehicle crew use
- AAR-90MR: marksman rifle version equipped with a lengthened accelerator complex of 120 electromagnets. Fully automatic fire is disabled to reduce recoil and improve accuracy.
- AAR-90MG: squad automatic weapon version that lengthens the weapon chassis to accommodate a 200 round belt feed box. Integrated grip-bipod and specialised electronics suite for sustained fire.