The Navy’s electromagnetic railgun has graduated from living in the lab to flaunting its capabilities in field demonstrations. Announced by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) during the Naval Future Force Science and Technology Expo, the weapon will be tested at the brand new Rep-Rate Test Site from the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.
“Railguns and other directed-energy weapons are the future of maritime superiority,” says Dr. Thomas Beutner, head of ONR’s Naval Air Warfare and Weapons Department. “The U.S. Navy must be the first to field this leap-ahead technology and maintain the advantage over our adversaries.”
Rather than chemical propellants or gunpowder, the device relies on a huge electrical pulse to launch objects as far as 100 nautical miles. Its speed stats match its impressive distance, surpassing Mach 6, which equates to six times the speed of sound.
Traveling at such an accelerated rate allows the high-velocity projectiles (HVPs) to take advantage of kinetic energy. This, in turn, reduces the quantity of dangerous explosives on board naval vessels. With this range, the navy hopes to be ready for anti-surface and anti-air warfare.
The size of the railgun’s power system has been reduced to the point where it can sit aboard U.S. Navy ships. Currently, the railgun’s barrel lifetime is undergoing improvements so they can fire multiple rounds per minute without incessant deterioration.
Even though this device adds defensive and offensive improvements, it’s expected to be a cost-effective design.
Watch the railgun test its initial repetition rate (rep-rate) of fires of multi-shot salvos in the video below.
Filed Under: Aerospace + defense