Second Special Issue on Pressure Vessels Technology Applied to Gun Tubes

Abstract

The previous open conference with a focus on large caliber gun tube design took place in Oxford, England, in 2002; this gave rise to the August 2003 special issue of JPVT. A second Oxford conference, GT 2005, was held in April 2005; papers from that conference are included in this special issue. The 21st century will require rapid reaction, mobility, and technological effectiveness. This implies weight reduction and more extreme firing environments, including operating pressures, temperatures, and chemistry. In these respects the 30 months between the conferences have produced some significant developments.