Errymath: rail-gun

World first in revolutionary rail gun technology

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="https://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2018/02/06/bbae7704-0a53-11e8-a09e-8861893b1b1a_1280x720_214826.jpg?itok=An4TpGhZ" src="https://cdn2.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/980x551/public/images/methode/2018/02/06/bbae7704-0a53-11e8-a09e-8861893b1b1a_1280x720_214826.jpg?itok=An4TpGhZ" /><br />
<br />
Photographs surface of ship-mounted electromagnetic weapon that could 
one day supersede traditional explosives with greater power, speed, range and accuracy.  <br />
<br />
China is believed to be testing the world’s first ship-mounted rail gun,
 a technology that military experts say has the potential to fire shells
 with enough force to destroy a warship and precision to shoot down a 
satellite.<br />
The controversial development comes as China seeks to transform its navy
 into a blue-water force capable of rivalling the United States and 
projecting power far from home shores.<br />
Photographs of a rail gun mounted on a warship docked in Wuhan, Hubei 
province, have surfaced on Chinese military websites in the last week, 
indicating the People’s Liberation Army Navy is testing the 
electromagnetic weapon and has been able to make it more compact.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBPae1Ch4ynlS_zj7m5XOWKP2bt9Ley44YPX5vSJPzhV-2LruwTR1FSh5-J8Gmm88F81ik8MuD5fhqP5PhphkN0xbYJTYHSG7XfqItBqna9adfYL0XnhJ-16uiGwCX0rmqbW6pT7x4zs/s1600/1243d85c-0b21-11e8-a09e-8861893b1b1a_972x_214826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="972" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBPae1Ch4ynlS_zj7m5XOWKP2bt9Ley44YPX5vSJPzhV-2LruwTR1FSh5-J8Gmm88F81ik8MuD5fhqP5PhphkN0xbYJTYHSG7XfqItBqna9adfYL0XnhJ-16uiGwCX0rmqbW6pT7x4zs/s1600/1243d85c-0b21-11e8-a09e-8861893b1b1a_972x_214826.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Rail guns fire shells using electromagnetic force rather than 
traditional explosive propulsion systems. They are designed to fire the 
projectiles with more accuracy and power and over a longer range, but 
are also extremely expensive.<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="https://cdn3.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2018/02/06/b87fa562-0a53-11e8-a09e-8861893b1b1a_1320x770_214826.jpeg" src="https://cdn3.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2018/02/06/b87fa562-0a53-11e8-a09e-8861893b1b1a_1320x770_214826.jpeg" /><br />
<br />
The US has researched and tested rail guns for years, with prototypes 
firing projectiles at up to 7,800km/hour over a 150km range. The cost of
 the projectiles was reportedly US$1 million per round.<br />
But the Chinese device appears to be the first mounted on a ship.<br />
The rail gun uses electromagnetic technology known as IEPS that state 
media confirmed last year would power China’s first home-grown aircraft 
carrier.<br />
The system was developed by a team headed by decorated PLA naval 
engineer Rear Admiral Ma Weiming, who told state broadcaster CCTV in 
July that his ultimate goal was to install weapons such as rail guns on 
the carrier.<br />
<br />
China’s state-run <i>Science and Technology Daily</i> reported on Monday
 that the cutting-edge technology would be deployed on the Type-055, the
 country’s biggest guided-missile destroyer designed as part of future 
aircraft carrier battle groups.<br />
But sources close to Chinese military told the <i>South China Morning Post</i> that the destroyer’s propulsion system and internal design were not suited for the rail gun.<br />
The gun in the photographs was installed on a Type-072 landing ship refitted to house the bulky electrical equipment.<br />
<br />
Song Zhongping, military commentator and former member of the PLA’s 
Second Artillery Corps, said future generations of the destroyer could 
be fitted with the weapon down the track.<br />
Song said China was closing the gap with the US and it was possible that
 China could eventually abandon explosives in favour of electromagnetic 
systems.<br />
“China has spared no effort to catch up the US’ electromagnetic 
technology, to turn the new technology into an all-purpose propulsion 
system for wide use in ship-mounted weapons and maglev trains and even 
to replace rockets to launch satellites into the space,” he said.<br />
“The leaked photos show China is now not only catching up to the US in 
ship-borne rail gun technology, but may surpass the US in next five to 
10 years. This is because the US needs more time to approve budgets 
while China’s political system allows it to put more funding into 
special projects.”<br />
<br />
The US Naval Institute reported last month that the US Navy scrapped 
plans in 2016 to buy 2,000 rail gun projectiles but would continue to 
monitor new technologies that could be incorporated into its existing 
systems.<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="https://cdn4.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2018/02/06/f34c9de4-0a53-11e8-a09e-8861893b1b1a_1320x770_214826.JPG" src="https://cdn4.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/images/methode/2018/02/06/f34c9de4-0a53-11e8-a09e-8861893b1b1a_1320x770_214826.JPG" /><br />Photographs surface of ship-mounted electromagnetic weapon that could 
one day supersede traditional explosives with greater power, speed, range and accuracy   <br />
<br />
Beijing-based military analyst Zhou Chenming said the purchase stalled 
because of the expensive technology’s low return on investment.<br />
“The US is hesitating because the cost of the new weapon’s development 
is huge, while its practicability is debatable,” Zhou said.<br />
“Proponents argue that [rail guns] can hit targets several thousand 
kilometres away guided by the space-based Global Positioning System. But
 [the US] air force can hit long-range targets easily by dropping cruise
 missiles from their stealth bombers or fighters, something that is much
 more cost-effective.”<br />
<br />
Military insiders said the high cost of and Ma’s involvement in the Chinese rail gun project also made it contentious.<br />
“The decision to develop the costly electromagnetic rail gun also 
provoked debate because so far only Ma and his team are the only 
electromagnetic experts developing it,” one insider said.<br />
“But Ma’s team has the backing of the leadership and that is also the 
reason why the electromagnetic technology has been developed so fast in 
China.”<br />
Last year Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded Ma, 57, the country’s highest military honour, the Order of August 1.<br />
<br />
<i>This <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2132263/chinas-military-fires-world-first-revolutionary-rail" target="_blank">article</a> appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition 
as: China aims for the first hi-tech rail gun mounted on warship</i><br />
<br /></div>

World first in revolutionary rail gun technology

Photographs surface of ship-mounted electromagnetic weapon that could one day supersede traditional explosives with greater power, speed...

Navy to scrap $500mn next-generation railgun

<br />
<br />
<div class="article__summary summary ">
        The US Navy is turning its attention away from a decade-long, 
electromagnetic railgun program, opting instead, for a less expensive 
alternative that uses the projectiles as ammunition in existing guns, 
rather than a next-generation weapon. </div>
<div class="article__summary summary ">
 </div>
Last week, the Congressional Research Service released a <a href="https://fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R44175.pdf">report</a>,
 which said the Pentagon is looking to divert from a decade-long 
electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) program, but are planning to use the 
projectiles developed in the program, which are compatible with its 
current powder artillery gun systems.<br />
<br />
Instead of relying on 
traditional explosive propellants like gunpowder, EMRG uses electrical 
currents to fire a projectile at speeds of up to 5,600 mph, or more than
 seven times the speed of sound.<br />
The Navy has been developing the 
EMRG since 2005 in conjunction with defense contractors General Atomics 
and BAE Systems. Testing the weapon has cost an estimated $500 million, 
according to <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a21174/navy-electromagnetic-railgun/">Popular Mechanics</a>.<br />
<br />
The
 Office of Naval Research (ONR), which is focused on developing new 
technologies for the service, broke the world record for muzzle energy 
with an EMRG prototype in 2010. Researchers fired a 23-pound projectile 
at 32 megajoules, enough to propel a projectile up to 100 nautical miles
 away.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Navy to scrap $500mn next-generation railgun " class="media__item " src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2017.12/article/5a2741a1fc7e9350408b4567.jpg" /><br />
electromagnetic railgun (EMRG)<br />
<br />
In July, the Navy released a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO_zXuOQy6A">video</a><span style="margin-left: 5px; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></span>, showing they were able to fire 4.8 shells a minute. In 2013, the Naval Sea Systems Command <a href="https://govtribe.com/project/rfi-for-fabrication-of-prototype-mount-for-naval-railgun">called</a> for the ONR to develop a railgun that could fire 10 shells a minute and store up to 650 shells.<br />
<br />
In 2015, the Navy estimated that EMRG weapons could be installed on a Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer by the mid- 2020s. <br />
However, the report states that there are <em>“a number of significant development challenges”</em> with the weapon which would require <em>“years of additional development work,”</em> adding, that <em>“ultimate success in overcoming them is not guaranteed.”</em><br />
<br />
Apart
 from the costs, the electromagnetic fields necessary to operate the 
weapons require a significant amount of energy, much more than most Navy
 vessels can currently generate.<br />
Instead, the Department of Defense (DoD) has <em>“particular interest”</em>
 in a hypervelocity projectile (HVP) program, according to the report. 
The US Navy began the HVP program after they realized the low-cost 
guided projectiles designed for the EMRG could also be fired from their 
existing powder guns.<br />
<br />
The projectiles are compatible with guns currently installed on cruisers, which provides the Navy with a <em>“potential for rapidly proliferating HVP through the cruiser-destroyer force.”</em> The Pentagon is also interested in the projectiles because they have the potential to be utilized <em>“across multiple US military services.”</em><br />
<br />
When
 fired from 5-inch powder guns, HVP projectiles can achieve a speed of 
Mach 3, half the speed of the EMRG, but twice the speed of conventional 
rounds fired from 5-inch guns.<br />
The guided projectiles can also be used to intercept anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) and anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs).<br />
<br />
<img alt="© usnavyresearch" class="read-more__cover" height="358" src="https://cdni.rt.com/files/2017.03/thumbnail/58d2f352c4618800518b4601.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<em>“They hit with the impact of a train slamming into a wall at 100 miles per hour,”</em> the report states, citing a piece from the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/can-mattis-make-peace-through-technology/2016/12/21/ed617156-c6f3-11e6-bf4b-2c064d32a4bf_story.html?utm_term=.2ede8ff270ca">Washington Post</a>. <em>“The
 high-speed, hence high-energy projectiles, which cost just $25,000, can
 radically improve fleet-protection capabilities: A barrage of them 
could counter an enemy’s more expensive anti-ship missiles.”</em><br />
<br />
The
 Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), an arm of the Pentagon created to 
develop new technologies, has reportedly been reallocating funds from 
the EMRG to the HVP program, which has the potential to leave the <em>“supergun”</em> project <em>“dead in the water”</em> by 2019, a defense contractor told <a href="http://taskandpurpose.com/navy-electromagnetic-railgun-budget/">Task and Purpose</a>.<br />
<br />
SCO spokesman Chris Sherwood said his division has not abandoned the EMRG program, but are focusing on <em>“developing
 the [HVP] for use in existing powder gun systems to give the Navy and 
Army near-term, cost-effective long-range fires and missile defense 
solutions.”</em><br />
<em>“SCO shifted the project’s focus to 
conventional powder guns, facilitating a faster transition of HVP 
technology to the warfighter,”</em> Sherwood told Task and Purpose. <em>“Our priority continues to be the HVP, which is reflected in the program’s budget.”</em><br />
<br />
Task
 & Purpose conducted an analysis of the Navy’s 2018 RDT&E 
funding request and found that funds for the Power Projection Applied 
Research fell more than $75 million due to  cuts from railgun barrel 
testing.<br />
<br />
<em>“Money is being put into HVP, and not railgun projects, which is why the two are being split,”</em> a senior legislative official told Task and Purpose. <em>“We’ve
 been able to rescue some of this funding, but Big Navy sees different 
opportunities, and because [the railgun] is a major challenge, they 
don’t want to explore it.”</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="460" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QUxmPXOR7-w" width="660"></iframe>
<br />
<br /></div>

Navy to scrap $500mn next-generation railgun

The US Navy is turning its attention away from a decade-long, electromagnetic railgun program, opting instead, for a less exp...

Electromagnetic Railgun - First shot at Dahlgren's new Terminal Range

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="US Navy test fires futuristic railgun (VIDEO)" class="media__item " src="https://img.rt.com/files/2017.03/original/58d2f352c4618800518b4601.jpg" /><br />
© usnavyresearch / YouTube

<br />
A technology miracle able to launch relatively cheap tungsten projectiles at the speed of Mach 6 (7,400 kph, 4,600 mph), <em>“obliterating everything in its path.” </em><br />The gun is said to be able to target almost any target within a 125-mile radius, be it on land or at sea, including incoming missiles. The missile defense capability, however, is theorized to be <em>“at least a decade away.”</em><br />
<br />
<div class="article__summary summary ">

The US Navy has revealed a video of the first commissioning 
tests of a railgun, a futuristic weapon that many people hope could 
shift the balance of power in naval warfare away from aircraft carriers 
and back to surface warships. </div>
<div class="article__summary summary ">
 </div>
The 
Navy has been pursuing the railgun for years, but the project has been 
hamstrung by the sheer amount of power required to make it work, 
measured in megajoules of electricity.<br />
<br />
UK-based BAE Systems 
appears to have made an operational railgun, however, and test fired it 
at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia in November 
2016. A short video of that test was made public by the Office of Naval 
Research on Tuesday.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="460" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pi-BDIu_umo" width="660"></iframe>

<br />
<br />
<br />
The railgun is designed around the principle of launching a metal 
projectile using a series of magnetic coils, rather than chemical 
propellant. Because of this, it is also known as the coilgun or Gauss 
rifle, after the German mathematician credited with discovering the 
concept in the 19th century.<br />
<br />
BAE Systems tested a 32-joule 
half-power prototype at Dahlgren in 2013. The full-power version was 
scheduled for testing in mid-2016 aboard the USNS Trenton, a 
Spearhead-class expeditionary transport, but the schedule was pushed 
back to mid-2017 without an explanation.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a25759/electromagnetic-cannon-railgun-test-fire-commissioning-series/">Popular Mechanics</a>
 has speculated that the railgun might end up being installed on board 
one of the three ships in the Zumwalt class, the experimental 
super-destroyer with a power plant strong enough to operate the weapon. 
The recently commissioned USS Zumwalt has been experiencing difficulties
 with its 155mm Advanced Gun Systems, designed around the projectiles 
that cost around $800,000 apiece.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Futuristic US railgun too expensive to use, similar projects in Russia – senator" class="media__item " src="https://img.rt.com/files/2016.05/original/574d3589c36188e6748b4574.jpg" /><br />
This image released by the US Navy, shows the Office of Naval Research's 
Electromagnetic Railgun located at the Naval Surface Warfare Center 
Dahlgren Division. © John F. Williams / AFP

<br />
Crucially, the weapon currently requires a 25-megawatt power plant of 
its own to fire at all.<br />
The vast power consumption can so far be 
supported by only three US destroyers being built.<br />
<br />
<img alt="US Navy test fires futuristic railgun (VIDEO)" class="media__item media__item_ratio " src="https://img.rt.com/files/2016.12/thumbnail/585a4499c4618802338b45f1.jpg" /><br />
 DDG 1000. Three US destroyers being built.<br />
<br /></div>

Electromagnetic Railgun - First shot at Dahlgren's new Terminal Range

'Star Wars' Rail gun weapon could be used on a new Zumwalt stealth warship

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc_agPr5BENBLbYtS-9pZlEv16T-0rrHQdvTa_beldl6AaOodSclfWdnKWwuJyyQrhNLeqlmRhvwIMvxD8XOXcaFh1CsJKycTDhgakyniZoP4dtKWPqBEeVD689_dVEFUGLQiY9Sy0GM/s1600/rail+gun+can+fire+a+shell+weighing+10kg+at+up+to+5%252C400mph+over+100+miles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc_agPr5BENBLbYtS-9pZlEv16T-0rrHQdvTa_beldl6AaOodSclfWdnKWwuJyyQrhNLeqlmRhvwIMvxD8XOXcaFh1CsJKycTDhgakyniZoP4dtKWPqBEeVD689_dVEFUGLQiY9Sy0GM/s1600/rail+gun+can+fire+a+shell+weighing+10kg+at+up+to+5%252C400mph+over+100+miles.jpg" /></a></div>
      The rail gun can fire a shell weighing 10kg at up to 5,400mph over 100 miles<br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=bBOTTqvd0r3Pooab7jrHcU&u=DailyMail" target="_blank"></a><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span id="ext-gen176" style="font-size: 1.2em;">A radical new weapon that can fire a shell at seven times the speed of sound could be used by the Navy as soon as 2018.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span id="ext-gen174" style="font-size: 1.2em;">Described
 as 'Star Wars technology' by researchers, the rail gun can fire a shell
 weighing 10kg at up to 5,400mph over 100 miles. It does this with such 
force and accuracy it penetrates three concrete walls or six half-inch 
thick steel plates.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Development
 of a futuristic weapon  is going well enough that a Navy admiral wants 
to skip an at-sea prototype in favor of installing an operational unit 
aboard one of its new Zumwalt-class destroyers.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;"><span class="mol-style-bold"></span></span></div>
<div class="mol-img-group xwArtSplitter">
</div>
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS sciencetech">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Electromagnetic
 launchers were one of the areas researched by Ronald Reagan's Strategic
 Defence Initiative, nicknamed 'Star Wars' after the science fiction 
film franchise. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Rail
 guns use electricity instead of gunpowder to accelerate a projectile at
 six or seven times the speed of sound — creating enough kinetic energy 
to destroy targets.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">It's
 technology that holds the possibility of providing an effective weapon 
at pennies on the dollars compared to smart bombs and missiles.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Admiral
 Pete Fanta, the Navy's director of surface warfare, has floated the 
idea of foregoing the current plan to put a prototype on another vessel 
this year and instead put it directly on future USS Lyndon B. Johnson - 
though no final decision has been made.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'The
 Zumwalt-class is one of a number of options being explored for the 
electromagnetic railgun,' said Lt. Cmdr. Hayley Sims, a Navy 
spokeswoman. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Due to the size, weight and power requirements, some platforms will be better suited for the technology than others.' </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Using
 an electromagnetic force known as the Lorenz Force, the gun accelerates
 a projectile between two rails that conduct electricity, before 
launching it at ferocious speed. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">This means the railgun can fire further than conventional guns and maintain enough kinetic energy to inflict tremendous damage.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Railguns were first conceived of nearly a century ago and patented by French inventor Louis Octave Fauchon-Villeplee. </span></div>
<div>
<div class="related-carousel with-fb sciencetech half" data-track-module="am-related_carousel^related_carousel" data-track-pos="static" data-track-selector=".rotator-panels a:not([class*=external])" id="p-16">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Nazi Germany took up the research during the Second World War to adapt its anti-aircraft guns.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">There
 has been talk since the inception of the Zumwalt program that the 
massive destroyers would be a likely candidate for the weapon because of
 its power plant. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The USS Johnson will be the third and final destroyer in the Zumwalt class.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-img-group xwArtSplitter">
    <div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Development of a futuristic weapon is going well enough that a Navy admiral wants to skip an at-sea prototype in favor of installing an operational unit aboard one of its new Zumwalt-class destroyers. Pictured is one of two electromagnetic railgun prototypes on display aboard joint high speed vessel USS Millinocket (JHSV 3) in port at Naval Base San Diego in 2014" class="blkBorder img-share" height="292" id="i-39d50d7f9b16ee54" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/02/15/15/313CEBFA00000578-3448057-image-m-6_1455551379554.jpg" width="640" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-2">
  
</div>
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Development of a futuristic weapon is 
going well enough that a Navy admiral wants to skip an at-sea prototype 
in favor of installing an operational unit aboard one of its new 
Zumwalt-class destroyers. Pictured is one of two electromagnetic railgun
 prototypes on display aboard joint high speed vessel USS Millinocket 
(JHSV 3) in port at Naval Base San Diego in 2014</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="xwArtSplitter">
<div class="splitLeft">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Fearsome: A projectile emerges from the breach of a railgun with an attendant ball of fire" class="blkBorder img-share" height="306" id="i-a7910e52" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/10/article-2601864-1CF5392600000578-100_470x306.jpg" width="470" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-3">
  
</div>
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="splitRight">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Very, very fast: EM railgun technology uses an electromagnetic force - known as the Lorenz Force - to rapidly accelerate a projectile between two conductive rails before launching it at ferocious speed." class="blkBorder img-share" height="306" id="i-a8dd0e62" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/10/article-2601864-1CF53A7100000578-171_470x306.jpg" width="470" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-4">
  
</div>
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear">
 </div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Rear Admiral Matthew Klunder, head of US
 Naval Research, said the futuristic electromagnetic railgun – so called
 because it fires from two parallel rails – had already undergone 
extensive testing on land </div>
</div>
<div class="moduleFull mol-video">
<a class="namedLink" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="video"></a><div class="item">

<div>
    </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="vjs-flyout-wrapper-absolute">
<div class="vjs-video-container vjs-fixed vjs-span-two-col sciencetech" id="v-4245740693001">
      </div>
</div>
<div class="moduleFull mol-video">
<div class="item">
<div class="sciencetech x-wide video_carousel_container" data-track-module="vm-4245740693001^extra_wide" data-track-pos="static" data-track-selector="a.videoLink" data-track-type="cl" id="p-23" style="width: 964px;">
<div>
<div class="vjs-flyout-wrapper-fixed">
<div class="vjs-flyout-wrapper-absolute">
<div class="vjs-video-container vjs-fixed vjs-span-two-col sciencetech" id="v-4245740693001">
    </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="floatXWHalfRHS">
<div>
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic">
<img alt="The weapon uses speed rather than explosives to destroy its target" class="blkBorder img-share" height="262" id="i-aabd0e78" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/10/article-2601864-1CF53BB600000578-306_474x262.jpg" width="474" /></div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
The weapon uses speed rather than explosives to destroy its target</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 600-foot-long warship uses marine turbines similar to those that propel
 the Boeing 777 to help produce up to 78 megawatts of electricity for 
use in propulsion, weapons and sensors. That's more than enough power 
for the railgun.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">If
 it's placed on the warship, the system could replace one of the forward
 turrets housing a 155mm gun that fires rocket-propelled projectiles.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">For now, however, the official plan remains for the railgun prototype to be tested aboard a joint high speed vessel this year. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">But there are concerns that the plan may be pushed back into 2017, and Fanta suggested skipping it altogether.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 railgun, along with laser weaponry, are two futuristic technologies 
that Fanta said have evolved from being a matter of scientific research 
to one of practical engineering.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The
 Navy is interested in those weapons — along with smart munitions that 
can improve existing naval guns — because of their low cost as well as 
lethality.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'The
 Navy is determined to increase the offensive punch of the surface 
warships,' said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington 
Institute. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'To do that with a limited budget, it needs to look at everything from smart munitions to railguns to lasers.'</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The railgun discussion isn't widely known inside the shipyard, where the Zumwalt-calls destroyers are being built. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, had no comment.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Shipbuilder
 Charles Davis said there was talk of a railgun when the yard began work
 on the first ship in the class, but he said there's been no discussion 
since then.</span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'They've been pretty tight-lipped about it,' he said. </span></div>
<div class="mol-para-with-font">
<br /></div>
<div class="moduleFull mol-video">
<div class="item">

<div>
    </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="vjs-flyout-wrapper-absolute">
<div class="vjs-video-container vjs-fixed vjs-span-two-col sciencetech" id="v-3448021957001">
      </div>
</div>
<div class="mol-img-group xwArtSplitter">
<div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="There has been talk since the inception of the Zumwalt program that the massive destroyers (pictured) would be a likely candidate for the weapon because of its power plant. The USS Johnson will be the third and final destroyer in the Zumwalt class" class="blkBorder img-share" height="604" id="i-d1e8f26c9c9baecf" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/02/15/16/313CE59600000578-3448057-There_has_been_talk_since_the_inception_of_the_Zumwalt_program_t-a-28_1455553816413.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-5">
  
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
There has been 
talk since the inception of the Zumwalt program that the massive 
destroyers (pictured) would be a likely candidate for the weapon because
 of its power plant. The USS Johnson will be the third and final 
destroyer in the Zumwalt class</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-img-group xwArtSplitter">
    <div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Railguns use electricity instead of gunpowder to accelerate a projectile at six or seven times the speed of sound — creating enough kinetic energy to destroy targets. It's technology that holds the possibility of providing an effective weapon at pennies on the dollars compared to smart bombs and missiles" class="blkBorder img-share" height="426" id="i-42edc8a429aace70" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/02/15/15/313CE58100000578-3448057-image-a-9_1455551542944.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-6">
  
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
Railguns use electricity instead of 
gunpowder to accelerate a projectile at six or seven times the speed of 
sound — creating enough kinetic energy to destroy targets. It's 
technology that holds the possibility of providing an effective weapon 
at pennies on the dollars compared to smart bombs and missiles</div>
<div class="imageCaption">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="mol-img-group xwArtSplitter">
    <div class="mol-img">
  <div class="image-wrap fff-pic" style="cursor: pointer;">
<img alt="Described as 'Star Wars technology' by researchers for its incredible range, the rail gun can fire further than conventional guns and maintain enough kinetic energy to inflict tremendous damage. Pictured is the Death Star from Star Wars" class="blkBorder img-share" height="491" id="i-57b828691a86f13e" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/02/15/16/313D1F2400000578-3448057-image-a-30_1455553825281.jpg" width="962" /><div class="share-pictures-overlay" id="share-pictures-7">
  
</div>
<div class="overlay-icon mobile-gallery">
<span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="imageCaption" id="ext-gen177">
Described as 'Star 
Wars technology' by researchers for its incredible range, the rail gun 
can fire further than conventional guns and maintain enough kinetic 
energy to inflict tremendous damage. Pictured is the Death Star from 
Star Wars</div>
<div class="imageCaption" id="ext-gen177">
<br /></div>
<div class="imageCaption" id="ext-gen177">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>

'Star Wars' Rail gun weapon could be used on a new Zumwalt stealth warship

The rail gun can fire a shell weighing 10kg at up to 5,400mph over 100 miles A radical new weapon that can fire a shell at sev...

AN ELECTROMAGNETIC ARMS RACE HAS BEGUN: CHINA IS MAKING RAILGUNS TOO

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/chinese_railgun.jpg?itok=RdSMTNTk" height="462" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/chinese_railgun.jpg?itok=RdSMTNTk" width="640" /><br />
<b>Chinese Railgun</b> This early Chinese railgun or coilgun (pre-2005) 
is part of Chinese electromagnetic research, which began in the 1980s. 
While railguns are relatively simple to build, the difficulty lies in 
scaling them up, as well as making the barrel durable enough for 
multiple firings. <i><span style="color: blue;"><b>Chinese Internet, via Strategy Center</b></span></i><br />
<br />
A Chinese defense contractor may be on its way to key breakthroughs in railgun weaponry.<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/bae_railgun_graphic.png?itok=0RU6e6aA" height="258" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/bae_railgun_graphic.png?itok=0RU6e6aA" width="640" /><br />
This BAE graphic illustrates the basic principles behind railgun 
technology, as well as its advantages (high launch speed and range, 
affordability, high firing volume). Chinese railguns on the Type 055A 
destroyer would likely have such similar characteristics. <i><span style="color: blue;"><b>BAE</b></span></i><br />
<br />
Railguns are one of the potential game-changing weapons of future war. 
Instead of using the power of chemical explosives such as gunpowder, a 
railgun uses electromagnetic force to propel projectiles to hypersonic 
speeds, potentially up to ranges of several hundred miles. A railgun's 
barrel has two parallel conducting rails built into it. When a moving 
armature (usually the projectile) is inserted into the barrel, it 
connects the parallel rails to complete the current, thus generating an 
intense electromagnetic field. The projectile then accelerates out of 
the barrel at high speeds.<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/casic_lab.jpg?itok=cNLti5Ih" height="426" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/casic_lab.jpg?itok=cNLti5Ih" width="640" /><br />
<b>206 Institute</b> Scientists at CASIC's 206th Institute in the lab. 
Scientists at the 206th Institute among China's leading researchers in 
applied electromagnetic launch (including technologies like railguns and
 EMALS catapults).<br />
<br />
These new class of weapons are considered by the US Navy to be a key 
technology for meeting 21st century warfighting needs, most notably in 
plans for countering China's military growth. Until now, the tech have 
been primarily a US dominated space; the U.S. Navy for example will test
 a railgun on the USNS Trenton starting in 2016. This seems to be 
changing.<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/7th_chinese_eml_conference.jpg?itok=TAJ0LUg7" height="479" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/7th_chinese_eml_conference.jpg?itok=TAJ0LUg7" width="640" /><br />
<b>7th Chinese Electromagnetic Technology Conference</b> At the 7th 
Chinese Electromagnetic Technology Conference in Oct 2015, Chinese 
scientists presented advances in key railgun technologies, such as 
toughened barrels to allow for rapid railgun firing in combat 
conditions. <b><i><span style="color: blue;">CASIC</span></i></b><br />
<br />
The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) has 
reported online that its 206 Institute, which researches electromagnetic
 launch technologies, has made breakthroughs in electromagnetically 
launch boosted missiles and railguns designed for close in weapons 
systems (CIWS). This follows the 206 Institute's hosting of the Seventh 
Chinese Electromagnetic Technology Conference in Oct 2015, which also 
reported advances in material sciences to reduce railgun barrel wear 
(while railgun technology have been tested since 1918, power generation 
and the wearing out of the barrel are longstanding barriers to the 
deployment of militarily useful railguns).<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/wuhan_emals_hmmwv.jpg?itok=PvbKiokO" height="577" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/wuhan_emals_hmmwv.jpg?itok=PvbKiokO" width="640" /><br />
<b>Wuhan EMALS</b> This satellite photo shows a test facility at the 
Chinese naval research facility in Wuhan. Speculation is that it is the 
prototype for the Chinese EMALS catapult system, which would be equipped
 on future Chinese carriers (Type 002?). <b><i><span style="color: blue;">hmmwv at China Defense Forum</span></i></b><br />
<br />
Phoenix Television reported on a number of other related railgun 
research advances. An early November 2015 news broadcast stated that 
Chinese researchers have made breakthroughs in electromagnetic aircraft 
launch systems (EMALS) and railguns, in areas from power storage to 
tougher barrel materials. EMALS catapults could be installed on Chinese 
aircraft carriers in the next decade, improving the performance of 
Chinese naval aircraft. The Phoenix TV broadcast also suggested that the
 PLAN hopes to test its own operational railgun in the next couple of 
years.<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/type_1130_ciws.jpg?itok=rjGNeD9U" height="403" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/type_1130_ciws.jpg?itok=rjGNeD9U" width="640" /><br />
<b>Type 1130 CIWS</b> The Type 1130 CIWS, with 11 30mm barrels, is the 
largest Gatling cannon in the world, firing up to 11,000 rounds a minute
 (that's nearly 200 rounds a second). Its designers say that it can 
shoot down 90% of incoming supersonic missiles. But it could be replaced
 by shipborne railguns, which would protect Chinese warships against 
future hypersonic threats. <b><i><span style="color: blue;">=GT at China Defense Forum</span></i></b><br />
<br />
Despite longstanding public conceptions of China only developing copycat
 weapons aided by intellectual property theft and espionage (such as the
 F-35 and J31 fighter jet similarity) , China's progress in developing 
new cutting edge military technologies like railguns actually reflects a
 deep investment in the field. Chinese scientists from civilian and 
military universities submitted the most papers at the Institute of 
Electrical and Electronic Engineers's 2014 Symposium on Electromagentic 
Launch in California, and China will host the upcoming 2016 Symposium as
 well.<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/images/2015/11/type_055_cgi.jpg?itok=7qbtCBPh" height="422" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/images/2015/11/type_055_cgi.jpg?itok=7qbtCBPh" width="640" /><br />
<b>Type 055</b> The second batch of Chinese Type 055 destroyers will 
likely feature railguns, starting in the 2020-2025 timeframe. A 32 
megajoule railgun on the Type 055 destroyer would be able to launch a 
ten kilogram projectile over a 100 nautical miles away, with the impact 
energy of medium artillery. Railgun ammunition can be guided, and 
programmed to explode over a target, destroying soft targets like parked
 aircraft and missile launchers. <b><i><span style="color: blue;">lt.cdjby.net</span></i></b><br />
<br />
The likely use of the reported railgun in a close in weapons systems 
(CIWS) would be to defend Chinese warships and bases against not just 
conventional airplanes and missiles, but also hypersonic and ballistic 
missiles. But China's recent progress in railgun technology also points 
to their potential in the same long range fight role the US navy 
envisions (covered in the recent book Ghost Fleet). There have been 
online rumors that suggest that the second batch of Type 055 guided 
missile destroyers (potentially to be termed the Type 055A, following 
the naming pattern) will be armed with large railguns in the place of 
older 130mm cannons, for long range anti-surface and air defense 
warfare. The putative Type 055A destroyer class would likely be launched
 after 2020, and feature integrated electrical propulsion, for increased
 power generation to power railguns, lasers and advanced sensors.<br />
<br />
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/blitzer_railgun.jpg?itok=TwevvyTh" height="376" src="http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/blitzer_railgun.jpg?itok=TwevvyTh" width="640" /><br />
<b>Blitzer Railgun</b> The 10MJ General Atomic Blitzer railgun can be 
put on a mobile ground launcher, supported by two generator vehicles to 
power it. Future advances in power generation and storage could result 
in more powerful railguns, with ranges of hundreds of miles, replacing 
Chinese short ranged ballistic missiles. <b><i><span style="color: blue;">IHS JANES</span></i></b><br />
<br />
Just as a railgun was recently shown off at the US Army Association's 
national convention, the technology might also be based on land, where 
indeed the power generation issues are less challenging than trying to 
fit onboard a ship. Large Chinese railguns could also be placed on 
ground vehicles (similar to the General Atomic Blitzer) to provide 
mobility, concealed on Chinese territory while defended by A2/AD 
systems. The long range and accurate rapid fire capabilities of railguns
 would give the PLA a cheaper, higher volume of fire, and less risky 
alternative to current ballistic, cruise missile and air strikes in the 
Chinese arsenal.<br />
<br />
A railgun technology arms race seems to be happening, and it is 
something to keep a close watch. It could very well reshape what is 
possible or not in the Pacific security issues in the decades to come.<br />
<br /><i>By <a class="externalLink" href="http://www.popsci.com/popsci-authors/jeffrey-lin-and-pw-singer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer</a>  |
<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.popsci.com/an-electromagnetic-arms-race-has-begun-china-is-making-railguns-too" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An Electromagnetic Arms Race Has Begun: China Is Making Railguns Too | Popular Science</a></i><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
</div>

AN ELECTROMAGNETIC ARMS RACE HAS BEGUN: CHINA IS MAKING RAILGUNS TOO

Chinese Railgun This early Chinese railgun or coilgun (pre-2005) is part of Chinese electromagnetic research, which began in the 1980s. ...

Electromagnetic Railgun : US Navy Hyper Velocity Projectile

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="Watch The Navy's Hyper Velocity Projectile Rip Through These Plates" class="lazy-loaded js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair" data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Zt7shXVz--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632458848615.gif" data-chomp-id="1256484632458848615" data-format="gif" data-mp4-src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--L_aisZk2--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632458848615.mp4" data-webm-src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--neIKxbZC--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632458848615.webm" height="270" src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Zt7shXVz--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632458848615.gif" style="max-height: 253px;" width="636" /><br />
Watch The US Navy's Hyper Velocity Projectile Rip Through These Plates<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span class="display-name author vcard"><a class="fn url" data-dropdownhover-anchor="1705064652-hovercard" href="http://kinja.com/TylerRogoway" target="_self">Tyler Rogoway for foxtrotalpha.jalopnik</a></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="first-text" data-textannotation-id="6ee7394250851d95d9f0c1d64c3dced0">
The Office of Naval Research is getting ready to deploy their electromagnetic Railgun
 for testing for the first time next year. But what is a gun without 
ammo? The Hyper Velocity Projectile is being built for not the just the 
Railgun alone, but also for existing 5 inch deck guns as well. And yes, 
it is very, very fast. </div>
<br />
<br />

<br />
<div class="has-media media-640 has-embed" data-textannotation-id="e0f489ae21b87349834aff0259838323">
<span class="clear-both flex-video widescreen"></span></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="a81200e7b10056c7e83dc31856624bbb">
The Hyper 
Velocity Projectile is basically a flying hypersonic spike and is 
launched in a similar fashion as the sabot rounds fired by Main Battle 
Tanks. The super low-drag spike of a projectile whizzes through the air 
at hyper-velocity speeds (around 5,600mph), hence its name. Oh yeah, and
 it is guided. </div>
<div data-textannotation-id="e1c50fc88563b6ef5b0e731fc7855c87">
The HVP’s 
sleek design allows it travel much farther than tradition naval gun 
shells, from 30 to over 100 miles depending on what it’s fired out of. 
Because of its high speed, it can arrive on target very quickly. Using 
different programmed trajectories, a whole swarm of HVP’s can land 
simultaneously, literally turning an enemy’s silent night into a 
hell-storm in a blink of an eye. </div>
<div data-textannotation-id="e1c50fc88563b6ef5b0e731fc7855c87">
<br /></div>
<div class="has-media media-640 has-image" data-textannotation-id="6d59692a7bcb0ce2559eba81828d6f4c">
<span class="lightBoxWrapper"><span class="img-border"><img alt="Watch The Navy's Hyper Velocity Projectile Rip Through These Plates" class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair" data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--RmUJsOz1--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632558793575.jpg" data-chomp-id="1256484632558793575" data-format="jpg" data-original-src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/1256484632558793575.jpg" height="423" src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--RmUJsOz1--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632558793575.jpg" width="636" /></span><span class="magnifier lightBox"></span></span></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="32a7521bad081e1cbb0e9927d91d3a7b">
<i>Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work examines the damage caused by a High Velocity Projectile </i></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="32a7521bad081e1cbb0e9927d91d3a7b">
<br /></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="a3b8f1446967ae2256b99081fd0b8436">
The 
projectile will come in a few different flavors, including an air burst,
 a kinetic energy penetrator and high-explosive round. Because of its 
high-speed and miniaturized and hardened internal guidance, it could be 
used against surface and a ground targets, but it could also be employed
 against air threats, as well. Think of it as the ultimate version of 
skeet shooting, where each round costs as much as an exotic car. </div>
<div data-textannotation-id="a3b8f1446967ae2256b99081fd0b8436">
<br /></div>
<div class="has-media media-640 has-image" data-textannotation-id="bb4869213c6457ad6a8b7afcf3a81a87">
<span class="lightBoxWrapper"><span class="img-border"><img alt="Watch The Navy's Hyper Velocity Projectile Rip Through These Plates" class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair" data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--0nRTPCMs--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632610042983.jpg" data-chomp-id="1256484632610042983" data-format="jpg" data-original-src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/1256484632610042983.jpg" height="476" src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--0nRTPCMs--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632610042983.jpg" width="636" /></span><span class="magnifier lightBox"></span></span></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="1e92f0acb41345e2934c5bbbd837f5ff">
<br /></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="1e92f0acb41345e2934c5bbbd837f5ff">
Although <a href="http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/these-guided-smart-shells-could-revolutionize-the-navys-1687408992#_ga=1.152495600.856494537.1431573216">guided artiller</a>y-type shells exist, and are very effective,
 speed is what makes the HVP so attractive. A whole slew of new 
possibilities, many of which make traditional missiles less relevant, 
especially for short and intermediate range engagements, exist when you 
factor an operational HVP capability into naval warfare scenarios. </div>
<br />
<br />
<aside class="referenced-wide referenced-fullwidth js_inset tmpl_referencedGroupFullWidth clearfix core-decorated-inset">
    <div class="container">
<div class="referenced-item  " data-inset-id="1705076234">
<br /></div>
</div>
</aside>

<br />
<div data-textannotation-id="263ad06c86f1c0c33930e7c6e798378c">
If network 
connectivity is added to the HVP’s design, it could be guided in-flight 
with command updates coming from external sensors. This means it can hit
 moving vehicles using a remote sensor’s data, such as from an unmanned 
aircraft or a ship’s radar system. Under such a scenario, a HVP could be
 launched from 100 miles away, toward an enemy land mass, and a 
loitering unmanned aircraft tracking a vehicle could provide the 
projectile with terminal targeting information. The whole engagement 
would last about one minute.<br />
</div>
<div data-textannotation-id="fd28336bad586fa9c5b24e8bfc1a6d3d">
It also 
means that the HVP could one day become more deadly than a 
surface-to-air missile, as its speed makes it almost impossible to 
defend against. Under such a concept, a Destroyer’s AEGIS combat system,
 including its powerful phased-array radars, can track an enemy fighter 
20 miles away, and fire off a HVP with its existing 5-inch gun. The HVP 
will use mid-course updates from the ship’s radar sent to it via 
data-link. The whole engagement would last under 15 seconds, and the 
projectile’s speed would make it nearly impervious to evasive maneuvers.<br />
</div>
<div data-textannotation-id="346b7a3dc4cd223c33542a718bcdf2a0">
Seeing as 
such a weapon would not need to carry its own propellant (or its own 
sensors, for that matter), it would mean that, although clearly not 
cheap, the HVP could replace some missiles at a comparatively cheap 
price. They could also allow for precious vertical launch cells aboard 
US Destroyers and Cruisers to be used only for long-range weaponry, such
 a cruise missiles and long-range interceptors. This also gives the 
Navy’s primary surface combatants many more shots to fire and a whole 
new mission of medium and long-range persistent fire support that 
currently does not exist. Even a ship’s <a href="http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-seven-deadliest-naval-close-in-weapon-systems-1568291678">Close-In Weapons Systems</a> defending against cruise missiles and swarming boat attacks could be augmented by the HVP’s capabilities. </div>
<div data-textannotation-id="346b7a3dc4cd223c33542a718bcdf2a0">
<br /></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="a4aa46fc4104e778e96e39c6162c6e8c">
What’s also cool about the HVP is that it can be dumbed down just like it can be smarted up, by removing its <a href="http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/this-rare-photo-shows-the-most-sensitive-part-of-a-comb-1627339307">Inertial Navigation System (INS/GPS)</a>
 along with its data-link and control mechanisms, and filled with more 
high-explosives instead. Such a setup would be ideal for long-range 
ship-to-shore area suppression and attacks on large fixed targets. In 
other words, great for prepping the battlefield for the Marines before a
 beach landing.</div>
<br />
<br />
<aside class="referenced-wide referenced-fullwidth js_inset tmpl_referencedGroupFullWidth clearfix core-decorated-inset">
    <div class="container">
<div class="referenced-item  " data-inset-id="1642002939">
</div>
</div>
</aside>

<br />
<div data-textannotation-id="51c630b73d284827aee03992a2817bde">
Another 
enticing aspect of the HVP is that it could give foreign allied navies a
 huge leap in capability without having to really modify their existing 
vessels, as the munition is being built in a common 5-inch gun sized 
format. Although this only offers a fraction of the Railgun’s range, it 
still is much faster, longer-ranged, and more accurate than any 5-inch 
shell available today. Combined with an off-the-shelf radar system, the 
HVP could give ships that were designed for surface warfare and hunting 
submarines an area air-defense capability on the cheap.</div>
<div data-textannotation-id="51c630b73d284827aee03992a2817bde">
<br /></div>
<div class="has-media media-640 has-image" data-textannotation-id="1a4c3f5f8b41bea9c273d548bc8458fd">
<span class="lightBoxWrapper"><span class="img-border"><img alt="Watch The Navy's Hyper Velocity Projectile Rip Through These Plates" class="js_annotatable-image cursor-crosshair" data-asset-url="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--AIN03XmU--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632667706983.jpg" data-chomp-id="1256484632667706983" data-format="jpg" data-original-src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/1256484632667706983.jpg" height="357" src="http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--AIN03XmU--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1256484632667706983.jpg" width="636" /></span><span class="magnifier lightBox"></span></span></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="2996aa8acf07b98f6260ef1424ea8200">
<i>The Railgun will be tested aboard the Navy’s Joint High-Speed Vessel USS Millinocket (JHSV-3) next year.</i></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="2996aa8acf07b98f6260ef1424ea8200">
<br /></div>
<div data-textannotation-id="f64c38cdbb2af42c9bb89b593c6bb737">
Finally, 
for future ships toting a Railgun, the HVP would be fired without any 
explosive propellant, making the ship a safer place and less prone to 
horrific secondary explosions caused by battle damage or accidents. It 
could also mean that someday, in the not-so-distant future, we might see
 the return of ships packing multiple big guns. The DDG-1000 Zumwalt 
Class, with its two 155mm guns is a start, but even a pocket “Electronic Battleship” could be a real possibility. </div>
<div data-textannotation-id="f64c38cdbb2af42c9bb89b593c6bb737">
<br /></div>
<br />
<aside class="referenced-wide referenced-fullwidth js_inset tmpl_referencedGroupFullWidth clearfix core-decorated-inset">
    <div class="container">
<div class="referenced-item  " data-inset-id="1695139424">
<br /></div>
</div>
</aside>

<br />
<div data-textannotation-id="7ff763a7d1ada5d1d443d40e4f290257">
<i><i>Tyler
 Rogoway is a defense journalist and photographer who maintains the 
website Foxtrot Alpha for Jalopnik.com You can reach Tyler with story 
ideas or direct comments regarding this or any other defense topic via 
the email address Tyler@Jalopnik.com</i></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="460" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EagXC7HDnns" width="660"></iframe>

Electromagnetic Railgun : US Navy Hyper Velocity Projectile

Watch The US Navy's Hyper Velocity Projectile Rip Through These Plates Tyler Rogoway for foxtrotalpha.jalopnik The Office of Nav...

BAE Railgun Test on JHSV Trenton on 2016 plan

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
</h3>
<img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAy2d6XQDxERMWIsTkJH5Q-_slCxn9lSt6tSNsHAP85VNX-IGwWLhiP2fAMxYeISqOvVAv4MHtpbGQVVaKIddKszEuDoz5kBRIDwXaOddpOYiJ04Qj_hnhkHkpjmdGb-tVG-BCNfRP7452/s1600/NAVSEA+Details+At+Sea+2016+Railgun+Test+on+JHSV+Trenton.jpg" width="640" /><br />
Railgun Test on JHSV Trenton on 2016 plan<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3TrAc2PYrRw?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>

<br />
<br />
<br />
Next year Naval Sea Systems Command will conduct the first at sea test 
of its electromagnetic railgun, hurling a guided 44 pound projectile and
 hypersonic speeds off the coast of Florida, NAVSEA officials said on 
Tuesday.The BAE Systems designed test weapon will be mounted on the 
newly delivered Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Trenton (JHSV-5) and taken 
to Eglin Air Force Base’s maritime test range off the Florida panhandle 
late in the summer of 2016. The Navy originally planned to use the JHSV 
USNS Millinocket (JHSV- 3) for the test.<br />
<br />
“It’s a naval surface fire support demonstration, the Navy’s first to 
engage an over the horizon target [with a railgun],” Capt. Mike Ziv, 
NAVSEA’s program manager directed energy and electronic warfare program 
office told attendees at the Navy’ League’s Sea-Air-Space 2015 
Exposition.<br />
<br />
The test will validate the assumptions the Navy has made in the 
decades-old pursuit of the railgun not only as a long range weapon to 
support troops ashore but start testing new ideas of using the weapon as
 an anti-surface warfare (ASUW) weapon, a ballistic missile defense 
(BMD) tool and as a close in weapon system for cruise missile 
threats.NAVSEA outlined the expanded mission set for the railgun — 
beyond naval surface fire support — in a request for information issued 
earlier this year.<br />
<br />
Traditionally, the Navy has used missiles to intercept targets but the 
railgun promises similar results for less money.“There’s a tradition 
that every time an enemy throws a threat at us our counter to that 
threat is one order more of magnitude expensive than the threat costs. 
This is a technology where we’re engaging threats at similar 
probabilities of kill for a cost that’s about two orders of magnitude 
less,” Ziv said.<br />
“Looking that the missions sets the railgun will be able to achieve the 
ship or land based facility, it will be able to store a lot more rounds 
and consummate a lot more engagements than a traditional missile-type 
system.”<br />
<br />
NAVSEA is also working with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)
 to create a modular railgun system for both at sea and on land.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>

BAE Railgun Test on JHSV Trenton on 2016 plan

Railgun Test on JHSV Trenton on 2016 plan Next year Naval Sea Systems Command will conduct the first at sea test of its electro...

Russia plan construction nuclear-powered destroyer

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="[IMG]" class="bbCodeImage LbImage" data-url="http://www.wantchinatimes.com/newsphoto/2015-03-19/450/leaderclass-143923_copy1.jpg" height="294" src="http://www.wantchinatimes.com/newsphoto/2015-03-19/450/leaderclass-143923_copy1.jpg" width="640" /><br />
Concept art for Russia's Leader-class destroyer. (Internet photo)<br />
<br />
<br />
Russia is very likely to start construction on the world's third 
nuclear-powered destroyer with the assistance of China, according to the
 Sputnik News based in Moscow.<br />
Admiral Igor Kasatonov, retired deputy commander of the Russian Navy, 
said the construction of the 10,000-ton Leader-class guided-missile 
destroyer would begin in 2017. Vasily Kashin, a military expert from the
 Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies based in Moscow, 
said the project provides a new opportunity for China and Russia to 
deepen defense cooperation.<br />
<br />
The Leader-class destroyer would be the world's third nuclear-powered 
destroyer after the USS Truxtun (DLGN-35) and USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25) 
of the United States. Since both American vessels were later 
redesignated cruisers, the Leader-class would in fact be the only 
nuclear-powered destroyer in the world. Kashin said that the 
Leader-class is larger than the two American ships.<br />
<br />
Unlike the US Navy, Russia does not have overseas naval bases around the
 world, the piece said, and it makes sense for Russia and China to build
 nuclear-powered destroyers or cruisers that can remain at sea for 
longer. Kashin also said China is working hard on the design of a 
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The participation of China in the 
construction of the Leader-class destroyer may give China the experience
 it needs, he said.<br />
<a class="externalLink" href="http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1101&MainCatID=11&id=20150319000149" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Russia and China may work together on nuclear-powere destroyer | WantChinaTimes</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>BAE Electromagnetic Railgun</b><br />
Electromagnetic railgun, a weapon that uses electricity to launch projectiles at six times the speed of sound
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-uV1SbEuzFU?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>

<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>General Atomics Blitzer Railgun  
</b><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NWZPp3aEjuM?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>

<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>US Navy's Superweapon electromagnetic railgun 
</b><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lFCTzIGYeMk?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>

<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Rail Gun Naval Test Shot 
</b><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y54aLcC3G74?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>

Russia plan construction nuclear-powered destroyer

Concept art for Russia's Leader-class destroyer. (Internet photo) Russia is very likely to start construction on the world's th...

Errymath