11 December 2010

Record Shot For US Navy Railgun

An experimental railgun is being developed and tested by the US Navy.
A futuristic new Navy weapon has achieved a testing milestone during a demonstration at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren.

Friday's demonstration involved an experimental surface ship weapon called an electromagnetic railgun.

The Office of Naval Research said the weapon achieved a world-record 33-megajoule shot. That energy measurement means the Navy could fire projectiles at least 110 miles.

The railgun uses kinetic energy to fire a projectile. The new munition would eliminate the need for a high-energy explosive, and put sailors farther away from harm's way.
By: Shelldrake

1 comment:

S O said...

No gun uses kinetic energy to fire a projectile unless it's using duplex or triplex rounds.

Conventional guns use overpressure to accelerate ("fire") a projectile, while a railgun uses electromagnetic fields to do so.