US Navy ship-mounted railgun closer to reality, Raytheon and others to make it happen

By Michael Gorman posted Jan 30th 2012 4:25PM





Ah, the railgun. Previously a flight of fancy fit only for wars in works of science fiction, the ultimate in electromagnetic weaponry is one step closer to becoming a reality for the US Navy. We've seen the system working well in the lab, but Raytheon has just gotten $10 million to create the pulse-forming network needed to get a railgun flinging projectiles off the deck of a Naval warship. Making such a network isn't easy, as it must store massive amounts of energy in a small enough package that it can be "used in a modular and versatile way for multiple platforms" -- so that some day, even dinghies will have 33-megajoule stopping power on board. In addition to Raytheon's pulse-forming framework project, the Navy has already tasked BAE and General Atomics to design tactical technologies that'll get future railguns firing up to ten rounds per minute. When can we expect to see such kinetic weapons on the high seas? The goal is 2025, but naturally, finances and politics will dictate its date of deployment, so keep your fingers crossed it's sooner, rather than later.


CNET
sourceRaytheon

Oh great, more thing created to kill more people. We truly are a self destructive creature.
And now were -2 billion dollars for more dumb shit we dont need.

A buddy of mine is a defense contractor with the Navy building shore power stations for the ships to plug into when they dock up, he's been developing an on board grid for the multi-reactor ships that are coming out now so they have the backbone to support rail technology. I thought I posted a video a while back of a rail gun test that used a 6 pound projectile that carried staggering amounts of kinetic energy. It had explosive properties just from the speed it was traveling but carried no actual explosives. The good thing about developing the energy delivery systems is that it will allow the Navy to use MTHEL which can actually shoot down volleys of multiple mortar and artillery shells.

Originally Posted by Supra

Oh great, more thing created to kill more people. We truly are a self destructive creature.
And now were -2 billion dollars for more dumb shit we dont need.

Not necessarily Supra. One of the big draws to Railgun technology is using a HUGE one to fire things into space! A big expense of the shuttle, and consequently a large step for private space companies to overcome, is recovering the launch modules. Developing railguns could actually save money in the future :)

Originally Posted by FreedomFries13

Not necessarily Supra. One of the big draws to Railgun technology is using a HUGE one to fire things into space! A big expense of the shuttle, and consequently a large step for private space companies to overcome, is recovering the launch modules. Developing railguns could actually save money in the future :)

Cmon man its so we can blast china and russia if we have to, the cold war never ended...you know that. And I just got out of two wars and saw enough killing for a lifetime.

I disagree Supra. Although many technologies further war, they also fuel the future for many great things. Like computers. We cannot change the way people are but just keep living.

Get enough of these babies deployed worldwide, and you've got yourself an ICBM-proof planet. At which point we can all stop worrying about North Korea getting in a strop.

It's great technology. I built one once, and even though it never worked as well as the US Navy's (they've got a slightly bigger budget than me, after all) I was amazed by the results. I was making holes in the wall with 10mm ball bearings, some magnets and an electrical outlet. Would have broken the window if the damn rails had been straight. Fun times:)

Rail guns also make ships safer. They dont have to have a powder magazine which is an explosion hazard if they are ever hit. The amount of combustibles onboard will be greatly diminished.
And as jones said, the amount of technology that has been developed for the military and then translated into the civilian world is amazing. We may be a violent species, but the same competitive nature in us that creates war, also is one of the main reasons the human race has prospered.

What happened to swords and shields I would have liked that better