METAL Storm has signed a project agreement with the United States National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop the company's 100% electronic handgun system into a "smart gun".
The agreement is valued at $396,000 ($US 218,000), with NIJ providing $336,000 ($US 185,000), and will provide the basis for the next generation of handguns incorporating smart gun technology.
The project is due for completion in the first half of 2003 and will provide in-depth analysis into the design, use, manufacturing process and cost elements of delivering a production safe firearm to the US law enforcement community and potentially other “friendly” police and military forces internationally.
The NIJ's goal for its own "smart gun" program is to develop a handgun that operates in a normal manner for authorised law enforcement users, but disables itself when in the possession of an unauthorised user.
The NIJ is the research and development arm of the US Department of Justice.
Metal Storm president and chief executive officer Mike O'Dwyer said the deal was a significant opportunity for the group to commercialise its technology into law enforcement markets.