Right now, Navy railguns could only reach targets 20km away. The new railgun reaches any target 160km away in six minutes using 33 megajoules of energy – an unprecedented tactical advantage over conventional weaponry like cannons and cruise missiles. To give you an idea of the magnitude of the impact, a megajoule is “roughly equivalent to a 1-ton car travelling at 100 mph [160km/h] “. Imagine the effect on a target.
According to the program manager at the Office of Naval Research, Roger Ellis, the gun will eventually reach enemy vehicles and structures 320km away with perfect accuracy, using a GPS-based targeting system. Ellis also says that “eliminating explosives from the ship, which brings significant safety benefits and logistical benefits”. They just need a constant source of energy in the ship, like diesel engines or a nuclear reactor.
In other words, war has just become greenerer and fasterer and more destructiverer than ever. [Fox News]
Jake Harry
Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 11:24 AM“greenerer and fasterer and more destructiverer!”
How can you have doubt in something with such a great tagline?
Tony v
Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 12:42 PMAnd how many tax payers money was spent on this?
Smar Tarse
Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 1:57 PM“In other words, war has just become greenerer and fasterer and more destructiverer than ever.”
Shouldn’t that be “everer”?
Steve
Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 3:11 PMIt’s still going to be hamstrung by the limitations of unguided projectiles. Once it’s left the barrel, it’s just a dumb piece of metal. There is no control within that 6 minutes. Your target might move, a schoolbus of kids might move into the reticule with no option to abort (wikileaks would have a field day).
Additionally, its trajectory is bound purely by the laws of gravity/air resistance etc. The round may be cheaper than a cruise missile, but it will never be able to strike from above like one, or maneouvre through a mountain range. It requires either line-of-sight, or a clear path where the target must be within 160km of coastline.