Brazilian MoD listed a ramjet-powered 127 mm artillery munition capable of high supersonic speeds, possibly for use on the Astros II MLRS with extended range.
Brazil’s new small-calibre ramjet artillery munition, the same calibre as SS-30 artillery rockets at 127 mm, aims to provide extended range through two-stage airbreathing propulsion.
The new munition is being jointly developed by the Brazilian engineering firm, Edge of Space (EOS).
Considering the same calibre as the SS-30 unguided rockets (Similar to 122 mm Grad rockets in role), it is likely that the new munition is intended for use on the Astros II MLRS that can carry up to 32 127 mm rockets.
The new munition is fitted with a solid fuel ramjet propulsion system identical in operating principle to the one used for the Meteor BVRAAM, where a short-duration rocket boost stage is followed by the activation of the solid fuel ramjet.
The longer and potentially adjustable burn time provided by air-breathing propulsion is known to have considerable effects on maximum range, as shown by some of the developments on other ballistic munition types. Primary examples include ramjet-powered artillery shells and the PrSM Increment 4 SRBM, both of which can reach almost twice the range compared to conventional counterparts.
