RTG ammunition
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| Type | Radiothermic penetrator |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | H&A |
| Developed | From 2022 |
| Used by | Armed forces of the European Federation; H&A Security |
RTG ammunition, or radiothermic penetrator rounds, is ammunition designed to defeat the membrane of parasite organisms. An RTG round releases heat into the target's membrane in the microseconds before it strikes, so that the gel has not hardened when the projectile arrives. It is effective against every membraned organism, and is the standard infantry weapon against the larger parasites. It is made by H&A, and its supply is limited by the supply of radioactive material.
Design
Each round carries a small radioisotope heat source in its tip, which delivers a pulse of heat to the surface ahead of the point of impact. The membrane is a suspension of silica spheres in a syrup, and hardens when an impact presses the spheres into contact held by friction, supplied by a protein coat on each sphere. Heat does not trigger the hardening; it melts the coat into a slippery film, and spheres that cannot grip one another cannot lock. The gel at the point of impact stays soft and the round penetrates as it would through unprotected tissue. RTG rounds are produced in small-arms, machine-gun and cannon calibres, as anti-tank rounds, and as warheads for guided missiles. The heat source is sealed inside the projectile and shielded in the cartridge, and a loaded magazine gives a dose to the person carrying it well below the occupational limit. A rifle round cost about €35 to make in 2026, about forty times the cost of an ordinary round.
History
H&A began developing radiothermic weapons in 2022, under the research provisions of the EF Integration Agreement, and the first rounds were issued to Federation forces the following year. A second generation, introduced from 2026, delivers the heat pulse over a wider area of the membrane and is effective against the thicker coatings of the Bolster and the Warden. Spent heat sources recovered from the field have been recycled into new rounds since 2024. H&A's Thermonuclear and Hyperbiology divisions have disputed credit for the design since 2022.
Production and supply
The heat sources require radioactive material, which is the main limit on production. About 15% of the material entering H&A's production comes from the facility at Kellerton, the largest single source, whose defence is a priority second only to that of Amsterdam. Material is moved between sources, enrichment and production mainly by rail.
RTG rounds are issued by allocation. European Defence Force infantry in infested areas carry two or three magazines of RTG rounds alongside ordinary ammunition, and further rounds are released by company commanders. The shortage of radioactive material that began in 2025 reduced allocations, and units were ordered to fire RTG rounds only at organisms that ordinary ammunition does not stop. Supply was raised in 2026 and 2027, and as of 2028 production is limited by the material available rather than by manufacturing capacity.
Use
RTG rounds penetrate the membrane of any organism, and are the primary infantry weapon in infested areas. Fire also defeats the membrane and is cheaper and more widely available. It acts slowly and depends on weather and fuel, and is used mainly against stationary organisms and to clear ground. Ordinary ammunition remains in use against small organisms such as the Rupter.
Spent RTG rounds are radioactive. Units using them carry dosimeters, and battlefields where they have been fired in quantity are swept to recover them. Unrecovered rounds are a hazard to people returning to cleared ground, and spent rounds are reported and collected in the same way as unexploded ordnance.