Dresde Under-Slung Grenade Launcher

Designer: Elysian Celestial Navy Manufacturer: Elysian Celestial Navy (Suggested) Price: Military Issue

Name: Dresde Type: Under-Slung Grenade Launcher Role: Multi-purpose Grenade Launcher Length: Twelve Inches Mass: 3 lbs. (Unloaded)

Projection/Ammo type: 40mm x 46mm grenades Firing Mechanism: The Dresde is loaded latterly by ‘swinging it out’ before placing the round in from the rear – putting it back into position all is necessary is to pull the trigger. The launcher relies upon a simple battery-capacitor-electro-magnet system by which energy is gathered from the battery upon pulling the trigger, and released into the coil of the barrel upon release – resulting in the grenade being launched for some distance. The weapon takes four seconds to charge. Calibre: 40mm x 46mm Effective Range 700m area targets, 200m point targets Maximum Range: 1km Minimum Range: 0m

Muzzle Velocity: 80m/s Muzzle Blast: None – it fires a round below the speed of sound, and the electro-magnetic firing system does not cause any visual effects. Firing Mode(s): Single shot Recoil: It creates a notable ‘kick’ effect that requires some bracing to compensate for.

Name: High Explosive Grenade Visual Description: This ammunition is normally stored in carbon-boride boxes while in transit – when on the battlefield it is normally stored within a belt or other system. The High Explosive Grenades have a crimson paint band around them. Ammo: 1 Charge: 20 before the battery needs to be replaced Damage Description: The High Explosive grenade is composed largely of Octanitrocubane, the strongest known conventional explosive – with a detonation velocity of over 9,400 m/s. As such the grenade causes a particularly powerful explosion. Due to the explosive used there is almost no smoke from the explosion itself.

Name: Fragmentation Grenade Visual Description: This ammunition is normally stored in carbon-boride boxes while in transit – when on the battlefield it is normally stored within a belt or other system. The Fragmentation Grenades have a orange/black striped paint band around them. Ammo: 1 Charge: 20 before the battery needs to be replaced Damage Description: The fragmentation grenade has a body composed of a tough ceramic, but is designed to explode on impact with a solid object – releasing a cloud of carbon-boride fletchettes as well as the shell of the grenade. The ‘lethal’ range of the grenade is 45m.

Name: Concussion Grenade Visual Description: This ammunition is normally stored in carbon-boride boxes while in transit – when on the battlefield it is normally stored within a belt or other system. The Concussion grenades have a white paint band around them. Ammo: 1 Charge: 20 before the battery needs to be replaced Damage Description: The concussion grenade is designed to damage with pure explosive power, rather than relying upon shrapnel like the above. It has a relatively thin case and is designed to maximise the shockwave caused by the explosion. Its lethal area range is around ten metres – although the shock wave can cause stunning and chaos over a greater area.

Name: Smoke Grenade Visual Description: This ammunition is normally stored in carbon-boride boxes while in transit – when on the battlefield it is normally stored within a belt or other system. The smoke grenades have a black/white striped paint band around them. Ammo: 1 Charge: 20 before the battery needs to be replaced Damage Description: This grenade is used in order to screen the movement of troops, to give Elysian infantry an advantage within the obscured area or to generally create chaos. Once the grenade makes contact with a surface it begins to spew forth smoke containing Titanium tetrachloride – creating a large expanding opaque screen which (coincidentally) is also somewhat corrosive.

Name: Dibenzoxazepine Grenade Visual Description: This ammunition is normally stored in carbon-boride boxes while in transit – when on the battlefield it is normally stored within a belt or other system. The Dibenzoxazepine (informally referred to as ‘Wheezers’) grenades have green and white paint bands around them. Ammo: 1 Charge: 20 before the battery needs to be replaced Damage Description: This grenade is used to incapacitate rather than to kill – releasing a cloud of dibenzoxazepine, an incapacitating agent which causes severe irritation and skin pain, belpharospasm, temporary blindness, coughing, gasping and panic. It can be fatal when used in a closed area and a subject remains with the area of effect for several minutes.

Name: Incendiary Grenade Visual Description: This ammunition is normally stored in carbon-boride boxes while in transit – when on the battlefield it is normally stored within a belt or other system. The Incendiary Grenades have a black, red and blue striped band around them. Ammo: 1 Charge: 20 before the battery needs to be replaced Damage Description: This grenade creates intense heat once it hits a surface – within it aluminium oxide and iron oxide react in an a thermite reaction – producing heat in the area of 2200 degrees Celsius – sufficient to meld together metals, as well as to burn through skin, nerves muscles and even bone.

Safety: None Fire mode selector: None Weapon Sight: Yes. Fitted on the left hand side of the grenade launcher is a small telescopic sight with a built in distance finder. Attachment Hard points: The grenade launcher is a hard-point – although it can actually be used separately. The attachment takes place through the use of a base of ‘smart metals’, which mould itself to fit the weapon before creating a suction effect to stay on – simply attach and press the button on the right hand side and it attaches until that button is pressed again. The smart metal also distributes itself so that the Dresde always fits well – and thus not compromising accuracy.

Field Maintenance Procedure: The weapon is relatively simplistic in its operation – anything which does break will likely require returning rather than repairing, certainly not on the battlefield. If dirt does accumulate it is safe to remove it with a cloth or duster of some variety. Replaceable Parts and components: The grenade and the battery are replaceable – the grenade by way of unscrewing the end of the barrel, as demonstrated here.

The battery is cube-like and housed in the back of the weapon – replacing it includes sliding away two small panels designed to keep it there, taking it out and replacing it with another one.

The Dresde is similar in appearance to most under-slung grenade launchers, although is slightly larger (due to it housing an electro-magnetic launching system) and using a side-loading system. It also has the characteristic smoothness of an Elysian weapon, and is usually painted to camouflage well with the envrioment in which it is deployed.

The Dresde under-slung grenade launcher was designed to add more fire-power to the Elysian Infantry – in addition to the already impressive Atromos particle rifle. Its grenades are part of an ongoing development system – it has been put into development before all of the grenades (ones not listed here) are ready to be deployed. (This reflects my intention to design more grenades later).

Zakalwe created this article on 2007/03/10 08:34; Wes approved it on 2007/03/10 10:38.