Natural Super-Cavitation Technology

Natural Super-cavitation Technology

Many people think that bullets will be able to fire underwater. We can watch some soldiers fired to water or underwater to hit enemies in movie or video.  But this is an illusion. Existing bullet cannot penetrate and enter water even. But, this can become a reality if one technology is applied. “Super-cavitation” Super-cavitation is a phenomenon whereby a large vapor bubble surrounds much of a moving object, such as a high-speed submerged vehicle. And an cavitation tunnel must be formed in which the warhead can travel overcoming the density of the fluid in order to attack a target underwater. Two cavitation tech. which are ventilated super-cavitation and natural super-cavitation are being investigated in academia and industry. Ventilated super-cavitation is a technology that forcibly forms a tunnel through which the projectile passes by blowing air toward the front of the projectile. This way is already applied to large weapon system compared to bullet such as torpedo. However, the small caliber warhead has not space to store gas or air. Thus, Natural super-cavitation is only answer which can be applied to small caliber for hit a target underwater. DureTek has secured the core technologies for creating a natural super-cavitation tunnel so that it can attack a target in the water by simply replacing the warhead from the existing ammunition without changing barrel. It called DrMEP(DureTek Multi Environment Projectile). These technologies are convergence with HPP tech. Thus, it is not only underwater. DrMEP can use battle environments both ground and underwater.

• Tip for natural super-cavitation
• Stiffness of core material
• Flight stability from HPP

Three cores combine, You can attack and defense enemy not only underwater but also ground.

Experiment Results of DrMEP

We’ve tried to test various situations to verify the ammunition works as advertised. Now with the help of testing facilities in South Korea, we’ve seen it happen over and over again enough to say that the test data is trustworthy. We conducted some tests in facilities and for accuracy in the tests, the 5.56mm caliber fired using a certified 10.5″ barrel and 7.62mm caliber fired using a certified 13″ barrel. In several tests, it proves that the DrMEP bullet can fly straight into the air and keep going straight into the water. Also, it proves that the DrMEP can not only fly straight into the air but also it could keep flying straight after it went through the water by penetrating two water tanks.

Here is table of comparison results between DrMEP and existing warhead. Also, you can see the super-cavitation tunnel on this figure below.

Contents.	5.56mm		7.62mm
	DrMEP	M855	DrMEP	M80
One water tank	CP(2/2)	PP(warhead destroyed inside water)	CP(2/2)	PP(warhead destroyed inside water)
Two water tank	CP(2/2)	PP(warhead destroyed inside water)	CP(2/2)	PP(warhead destroyed inside water)

Existing bullet cannot form a cavitation tunnel and be destroyed by water density(cannot penetrate). Also, we can expect the effective range in air and underwater.

DrMEP		5.56mm		7.62mm
Effective Range [m]	Air	700		1,000
	Underwater	15		25

DrMEP can fly straight in the air. Typically underwater bullets are used for operations like a soldier needs to shoot from a helicopter into the water. In order to neutralize naval mines, the bullet needs to be precious. However, the traditional water bullet couldn’t hit naval mines with one shot. Maybe multiple shots might increase the chance to hit the target but even multiple shots didn’t ensure hitting the target. Now with Duretek’s DrMEP, any soldier can use an underwater bullet like a sniper bullet.