Navy's prototype rail gun

Bob369963

Bob369963

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Navy's prototype rail gun projectile hits mach 7 at 33 megajoules, our hearts skip a beat (video)

By Tim Stevens posted Dec 11th 2010 3:31PM

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Rail guns play a major part in nearly every fanciful battle of the future, whether it be giant robots fighting for control of the Inner Sphere or the last remaining member of Noble Team holding off the Covenant invasion for as long as possible. They're the stuff of geeky dreams, and thanks to the US Navy they're closer to deployment than ever. Three years ago our sea-borne force managed an 8 megajoule blast, now its researchers have more than quadrupled that: 33 megajoules accelerating a projectile using magnets. That power means speeds of Mach 7 for the slug and a current range of 100 miles, though the hope is for at least double that by the time these things start finding themselves mounted on the decks of battleships in 2025. At that point they'll reduce the need for rooms full of powder charges and the associated dangers that come along with explosive shells, but will instead need to make way for what looks to be a warehouse full of capacitors. There's a video of the thing in action below, and you'll be sorry if you miss it.

[Thanks, Jacob L.]
 
you would have to have "balls of steal" to carry that around. as nukem would say
 
It's a Ship mounted/based weapon. They are a long way off from any sort of portable unit. What amazes me about rail guns is the sheer amount of distruction they inflict.
 
I think a ship mounted version is still along way away. The amount of power required makes it inefficient and unpractical right now.
 
amazon3d said:
I think a ship mounted version is still along way away. The amount of power required makes it inefficient and unpractical right now.
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How so? Nuclear reactors are common in the US navy. Switching to rail guns is THE way to go. The ammunition becomes dirt cheap. There are no powder magazines left onboard which are an explosion hazard. You can carry much more ammunition. Not to mention the whole, shooting a target 200 miles away in 6 minutes with an insane amount of kinetic energy.

"The planned 64-megajoule weapon, if it's ever built, could require even more power--a staggering 6 million amps.

According to Dr. Amir Chaboki, the program manager for Electro-Magnetic Rail Guns at BAE Systems, "The power is available. The challenge is how you use it." The Navy's electrically-propelled DDG 100 Destroyer, Chaboki says, is a prime candidate for the final 64-megajoule system. Around 72 megawatts (MW) of the vessel's power can be used for propulsion. But during combat, the destroyer's speed could be brought down, freeing up energy for a rail gun. Chaboki calculates that firing the 64-megajoule weapon six times per minute would require 16 MW of power, which would be supplied by either onboard capacitors or pulsed alternators. The more daunting challenge is the force of the rail gun itself: A few shots can dislodge the conducting rails--or even damage the barrel of the gun."

And that one isn't nuclear, its gas turbine.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/4231461
 
NASA is going to use the rail gun as a lunch pad for the next generation of space shuttles. The shuttle will piggy back a scrambler jet. That site's on top of the mile long rail. This is just a test ground for the future. Can't wait :)
 
amazon3d said:
I think a ship mounted version is still along way away. The amount of power required makes it inefficient and unpractical right now.
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With a nuclear powered Navy this is the perfect weapon. Multiple reactors can be used in the larger ships, and I know for a fact that they are already developing the necessary electronic infrastructure for these systems on Navy vessels. I would also expect to see MTHEL systems on warships in the very near future.
 
I thought they implemented the MTHEL weapons in a minimal capacity all ready.
 
Bob369963 said:
I thought they implemented the MTHEL weapons in a minimal capacity all ready.
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I've never heard of MTHEL at sea, as far as I know it's been officially defunded by the US, but Israel is still a partner in the program. We thought it was "too expensive", but there really is no other system on earth that can shoot down incoming artillery shells. The larger ships are stable enough for it, but I'm not aware of it being in service stateside. I think the Israelis already have it in service, it's really perfect for what they need. It's beyond comprehension how programs like the F22 and MTHEL can get mothballed, game changing weapons platforms.
 
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