The U.S. Navy
yesterday test fired an incredibly powerful new big gun designed to
replace conventional weaponry aboard ships. Sci-fi fans will recognize
its awesome power and futuristic technology.
The big gun uses electromagnetic energy instead of explosive
chemical propellants to fire a projectile farther and faster. The
railgun, as it is called, will ultimately fire a projectile more than
230 miles (370 kilometers) with a muzzle velocity seven times the speed of sound (Mach 7) and a velocity of Mach 5 at impact.
The test-firing, captured on video, took place Jan. 31 in Dahlgren, Va., and Navy officials called it the "world’s most powerful electromagnetic railgun."
The Navy’s current MK 45 five-inch gun, by contrast, has a range of less than 23 miles (37 kilometers).
The railgun has been a featured weapon in many science fiction
universes, such as the new "Battlestar Galactic" series. It has also
achieved newfound popularity among the 20-something-and-under
generation for its devastating ability to instantaneously shoot a
"slug" through walls and through multiple enemies in video games such
as the "Quake" series of first person shooters.
The Navy’s motivation? Simple destruction.
The railgun’s high-velocity projectile will destroy targets with sheer kinetic energy rather than with conventional explosives.
"I never ever want to see a Sailor or Marine in a fair fight. I
always want them to have the advantage," said Chief of Naval
Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead. "We should never lose sight of
always looking for the next big thing, always looking to make our
capability better, more effective than what anyone else can put on the
battlefield."
The railgun’s lack of explosives means ships would be safer, said Elizabeth D’Andrea, Electromagnetic Railgun Program Manager.
The Navy’s goal is to demonstrate a full-capability prototype by 2018.
Via Yahoo