Small Naval Rail Gun Fires 40lb slug at 8,213 f.p.s.

[bluesea112]

The navy has just de-classified some information about their new rail gun. This new rail gun is no bigger than a howlitzer, and it fires a 40 lb steel slug at over 5,600 miles per hour or 8,213 feet per second. It has no heat trail like a missile, so it cannot be targeted and shot down. The article goes on to say that targets are hit with energy equal to that of a 1 ton passenger car traveling at 3200 miles per hour (No typo....That is three thousand two hundred mph)

Here is a link to the story:

http://news.yahoo.com/military-video...001012348.html

[cycloneman]

Long time ago I swear I saw a video of this in a plane and I think it shot faster too.

Pretty impressive, this is gona change everything on the theather. Just wait till they make it smaller, scary in the wrong hands.

[Silencer]

I love the flames coming out the barrel. That's the air in the barrel getting compressed so fast it just bursts into flame.

[flintlock]

The projectile sure has an interesting shape, would like to find out what the shape has to do with the platform. Doesn't look reloadable to me!

[Marlin T]

Navy to Begin Tests on Electromagnetic Railgun Prototype Launcher

Navy News Service
Story Number: NNS120206-07
2/6/2012
By Grace Jean, Office of Naval Research Public Affairs
ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- The Office of Naval Research's (ONR) Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun program will take an important step forward in the coming weeks when the first industry railgun prototype launcher is tested at a facility in Dahlgren, Va., officials said Feb. 6.
"This is the next step toward a future tactical system that will be placed on board a ship some day," said Roger Ellis, program manager of EM Railgun.
The EM Railgun launcher is a long-range weapon that fires projectiles using electricity instead of chemical propellants. Magnetic fields created by high electrical currents accelerate a sliding metal conductor, or armature, between two rails to launch projectiles at 4,500 miles per hour to 5,600 miles per hour.
With its increased velocity and extended range, the EM Railgun will give Sailors a multi-mission capability, allowing them to conduct precise naval surface fire support, or land strikes; cruise missile and ballistic missile defense; and surface warfare to deter enemy vessels. Navy planners are targeting a 50- to 100-nautical mile initial capability with expansion up to 220 nautical miles.
The EM Railgun program, part of ONR's Naval Air Warfare and Weapons Department, previously relied upon government laboratory-based launchers for testing and advancing railgun technology. The first industry-built launcher, a 32-megajoule prototype demonstrator made by BAE Systems, arrived at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Jan. 30. One megajoule of energy is equivalent to a 1-ton car traveling at 100 miles per hour.
"This industry prototype represents a step beyond our previous successful demonstrations of the laboratory launcher," Ellis said.
The prototype demonstrator incorporates advanced composites and improved barrel life performance resulting from development efforts on the laboratory systems located at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and NSWC-Dahlgren. The EM Railgun laboratory demonstrator based at NSWC-Dahlgren fired a world record setting 33-megajoule shot in December 2010.
The industry demonstrator will begin test firing this month as the EM Railgun program prepares for delivery of a second prototype launcher built by General Atomics.
In the meantime, the Navy is pushing ahead with the next phase of the EM Railgun program to develop automatic projectile loading systems and thermal management systems to facilitate increased firing rates of the weapon.
"The next phase of the development effort is to demonstrate the ability to operate at a firing rate of significant military utility," Ellis said.
ONR recently awarded $10 million contracts through Naval Sea Systems Command to Raytheon Corp., BAE Systems and General Atomics to develop a pulsed power system for launching projectiles in rapid succession. These new contracts kick off a five-year effort to achieve a firing rate of six to 10 rounds per minute.
BAE Systems and General Atomics also are commencing concept development work on the next-generation prototype EM Railgun capable of the desired firing rate.
ONR provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

[millwright]

Originally Posted by Silencer

I love the flames coming out the barrel. That's the air in the barrel getting compressed so fast it just bursts into flame.

Care to "splain" how compressed air - containing a huge proportion of inert nitrogen - can "burn" ?

BTW, I can offhand think of reasons for the flames, but none of them "good" ! >MW

[millwright]

And how does all this EM energy discharge contribute to "EMCON" ?

OTOH I suspect the "rail gun" concept would be a boon to manned and UM aircraft launches ! >MW

[bobski]

rayathon. go figure. navy and them are like sweethearts! ching boda bing.

[Silencer]

Originally Posted by millwright

Care to "splain" how compressed air - containing a huge proportion of inert nitrogen - can "burn" ?

The air becomes ionized, the friction of the projectile plus the compression of the air inside the barrlel = flames.