Continental Arsenal CAW-78

Good hit on target, switching to HE rounds, new target at 215, 600 meters!

— Anonymous tank commander, 380

The Continental Arsenal CAW-78 is a Vestan 115mm high-velocity coilgun designed and manufactured by Continental Arsenal. Its primary goal was to engage and neutralize heavily armored targets, whether these are large animals or armored vehicles, while retaining the versatility of ballistic weapons against softer targets. By using an array of magnetic coils to accelerate the projectiles, the CAW-78 is a remarkable weapon that can adjust its muzzle velocity more easily than the aging railguns it replaced, while retaining the ability to fire a wide range of ammunition for various purposes.

Designed in 316, the CAW-78 was quickly adopted into military service in 318 thanks to its versatility and widely available ammunition. Most CAW-78s are manufactured on Vestalia I, where the Arsenal maintains most of its factories. These are then shipped to assembly plants of other companies to be outfitted on vehicles and even aircrafts. Through its seventy years of service, the CAW-78 has proved to be an excellent weapon, combining accuracy, reliability and effectiveness into a single, deadly package.

Design

The CAW-78 is a conventional 115mm coilgun built around an array of 22 superconducting coils encased in a resilium-graphene hybrid thermal sleeve for cooling. Each coil can be individually disconnected to fire at lower velocities, enabling the CAW-78 to fire both kinetic penetrators at extreme velocities and explosive shells at lower velocities. This made the weapon more versatile than railguns, which used a singular projectile to perform as both explosive and penetrating ammunitions simply through kinetic energy. By using highly efficient superconducting coils, the weapon also applies less stress to its ammunition when fired, allowing it to fire more versatile projectiles such as guided shells.

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General Characteristics

Type

High-velocity coilgun

Place of origin

Vesta

In service

318-present

Used by

Vestan Defense Forces

Specifications

Mass

3 950 kg

Length

6.1 m

Caliber

115 x 245mm

Muzzle velocity

3 270 m/s

Effective range

11 500 m

Variants

CAW-78-A

The Airborne variant of the CAW-78 is a stripped down CAW-78, using only 18 coils to operate. It is primarily used in the GAC-56E Tempest Hunter gunship, but has also been seen mounted on light ground vehicles to provide fire support in remote areas.

CAW-78-G

The Ground variant of the CAW-78 is the most common form of the CAW-78 and is widely used in ground vehicles such as the Warden and the Ravager. It is capable of firing all 115x245mm projectiles, including guided smart shells that are known to be delicate and finicky.

CAW-78-E

The Export variant of the CAW-78 is a rare adaptation of the CAW-78 for civilian use. With a shortened barrel and only 14 coils, the CAW-78-E performs well enough to be used against lightly armored targets such as large animals and improvised armored vehicles, but is no match against a modern vehicle. The CAW-78-E is nonetheless the most powerful weapon system purchasable by consumers and businesses, making it a prized possession for those who can afford it.

History

The CAW-78 was initially designed to replace the aging railguns previously in service for the past century. With no major conflicts in sight, these were kept operational well beyond their intended service life, severely limiting the capabilities of the Vestan Ground Defense Force. To answer this growing need, the Continental Arsenal began the development of a new generation of coilguns, with the novel use of Resilium for heat management. The resulting weapon would remain in internal trials for several years until it was officially announced in 316.

The first public trials were won by landslide by the CAW-78, with the weapon surpassing the century-old railguns in every aspect. This wake up call for the military prompted the emergency approval of a new budget to procure the new weapon. This new budget would eventually impact the rest of the military with the foundation of the Universal Ground Vehicle program and its derivatives. This program would also trigger another major change in the military with the adoption of the Ravager a couple of decades later. In the meantime, the Arsenal continued to improve the CAW-78 to keep it at the forefront of technology, eventually leading it to its current iterations.

Operators

Vestan Ground Defense Force

The main operators of the CAW-78 are the Vestan Defense Forces, especially the Ground Defense Force. While the weapon can be found in aircrafts and on maritime ships, its most prominent application are the Ravager MBTs and the Warden FSVs. Both of these vehicles are used to provide a heavily armed weapon platform to support friendly troops, and the latest models like the CAW-78-G6 provide more than enough firepower.

Private Military Companies

While used by the military, the CAW-78 is legally available to purchase for the wealthiest private military companies. Taking the form of the CAW-78-E, these civilian-owned CAW-78 are a significant downgrade compared to the militaryr version. Nonetheless, its versatility and firepower make it a well regarded weapon, easily justifying its prohibitive price.