General Atomics

SAN DIEGO, CA, 25 April 2016 – General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that its Blitzer® electromagnetic railgun system was demonstrated at the U.S. Army's Fires Center of Excellence annual Maneuver and Fires Integration Experiment (MFIX), April 4-21 at Ft. Sill in Lawton, OK.  

"This event marks another milestone for our railgun team," stated Nick Bucci, vice president, Missile Defense and Space Systems at GA-EMS. "After the successful test firings of our guidance electronics units at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah one month ago, we disassembled the Blitzer railgun system and transported it to Ft. Sill where it was set-up and fired during the MFIX event. Our goal was met in showing how our advanced weapon system can be efficiently transported from site to site. Testing our system under real world conditions at different locales enables us to gather the critical data necessary to improve the system's efficiency to meet future customer mobility requirements." 

There were eleven firings of the Blitzer railgun during the MFIX event, all at a target with a range greater than previous Blitzer firings. At the completion of MFIX, GA-EMS' Blitzer railgun system will be transported back to Dugway Proving Ground in Utah for further testing later this year. 

GA-EMS' Acoustic Detection System, an unattended ground sensor system for multi-target simultaneous detection and tracking, was also featured at the MFIX event. The system is capable of monitoring multiple sensors simultaneously and provides visual detection and tracking of acoustic and seismic sources.

MFIX is an annual exercise to inform requirements, validate/refine concepts, address capability gaps, and assess solutions for incorporation into the future Army Warfighting Assessments. The exercise brings together military and industry partners to view and conduct demonstrations of key technologies such as the Blitzer railgun.

About General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) is a global leader in the research, design, and manufacture of first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of technology innovations, specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.

For more information contact:

Meghan Ehlke
Strategic Communications Manager
(858) 964-7058
Meghan.Ehlke@ga.com

Craig Silgjord
General Atomics Public Relations
(858) 455-3399
Craig.Silgjord@ga.com

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Blitzer® Railgun U.S. Army MFIX Event, Ft. Sill, OK