The U.S. Navy has announced plans to test a prototype electromagnetic railgun aboard a high speed vessel in 2016. The test will mark the first time an electromagnetic railgun has been demonstrated as sea.
Capable of firing projectiles at seven times the speed of sound, railgun technology uses an electromagnetic force known as Lorentz force to rapidly accelerate an object between two conductive rails. According to service officials, the projectile is launched at such high velocities that it can achieve far greater ranges than conventional guns and maintain enough kinetic energy so as to remove the need for a high explosive payload upon reaching its target.
“The electromagnetic railgun represents an incredible new offensive capability for the U.S. Navy,” Rear Adm. Bryant Fuller, the Navy’s chief engineer, said. “This capability will allow us to effectively counter a wide-range of threats at a relatively low cost, while keeping our ships and sailors safer by removing the need to carry as many high-explosive weapons.”
The final operational electromagnetic railgun system is expected to be able to hit a target 110 nautical miles (about 127 land miles) away and cost only $25,000 per missile vs. the $500,000 to $1.5 million per missile cost of current defense systems.
