US Navy Demos 33 MJoule Railgun

[TruthSeeker]

On a recent test firing of a U.S. Navy experimental electromagnetic rail gun the Office of Naval Research (ONR) claimed the world record for the muzzle energy. The test, carried out on December 10, 2010 at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division achieved a world-record 33-megajoule muzzle energy shot – over three times the previous world record also claimed in 2008 by ONR.

“The 33-megajoule shot means the Navy can fire projectiles at least 110 nautical miles, placing Sailors and Marines at a safe standoff distance and out of harm’s way, and the high velocities achievable are tactically relevant for air and missile defense,” said Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, chief of naval research. A 33-megajoule shot, could potentially reach extended ranges with Mach 5 velocity, five times the speed of sound.

The Navy is developing the rail gun to equip future surface combatant ships, such as the DDG-1000 Zumwalt destroyers. At full capability, a future rail gun will be able to fire a projectile more than 200 nautical miles (ten times farther than current Mk 45 five inch guns) at a muzzle velocity of mach seven and impacting its target at mach five.

These high velocity projectiles will be able to destroy targets by kinetic energy, rather than with conventional explosives. This feature of railgun technology will improve safety for sailors and marines because it will eliminate the need for a high-energy explosive warhead and traditional gun propellants. Removing explosives and chemicals will reduce the munitions logistic chain.

A Step Closer to Railgun Capability – U.S. Navy Fires Record Breaking 33 megajoul Shot - Defense-Update

 

[siegecrossbow]

Hmm it looks like naval guns might make a comeback in the near future. I wonder if some form of guidance would be incorporated.

 

[illuminatidinesh]

Seems Like we saw one in Transformers " The Revenge Of the Fallen"

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

YouTube - Rail Gun from Transformers 2

 

[Safriz]

YouTube - Rail Gun from Transformers 2

Another case of Hollywood Dumbness..At 00:05 the operator is shown watching Pyramids on seashore...Pyramids are far away inland from see.

 

[SomeGuy]

Hmm it looks like naval guns might make a comeback in the near future. I wonder if some form of guidance would be incorporated.

Railgun projectiles depend on momentum/kinetic energy, so wouldn't guidance/manoeuvreing bleed energy?

 

[Safriz]

Railgun projectiles depend on momentum/kinetic energy, so wouldn't guidance/manoeuvreing bleed energy?

Dont think guidance can be incorporated in rail gun.Any electronics or mechanical parts will be killed by the high G of the initial acceleration.
It 0 to mach 5 in milliseconds.

 

[SomeGuy]

Dont think guidance can be incorporated in rail gun.Any electronics or mechanical parts will be killed by the high G of the initial acceleration.
It 0 to mach 5 in milliseconds.

There's also the question of shielding any electronics from the guns magnetic fields.

 

[Safriz]

There's also the question of shielding any electronics from the guns magnetic fields.

That may be dealt with by switching on the electronics after the projectile has been launched,as magnetic field will only effect in the launch phase,not later.

 

[ARSENAL6]

Another case of Hollywood Dumbness..At 00:05 the operator is shown watching Pyramids on seashore...Pyramids are far away inland from see.

No its not Hollywood Its Micheal Bay and his retard fans that support him.

He single handily ruined Hollywood by just being there.

 

[sans]

Futuristic Navy railgun with 220-mile range closer to reality


Imagine a Naval gun so powerful it can shoot a 5-inch projectile up to 220 miles, yet requires no explosives to fire.
That's the Navy's futuristic electromagnetic railgun, a project that could be deployed on the service's ships by 2025, and which is now a little bit closer to reality with the signing of a deal with Raytheon for the development of what's known as the pulse-forming network.
Rather than using explosives to fire projectiles as do conventional naval weapons, the railgun depends on an electromagnetic system that uses the ship's onboard electrical power grid to fire the gun. The pulse-forming network is a system that stores up electrical power and then converts it to a pulse that is directed into the gun's barrel, explained John Cochran, the railgun program manager in Raytheon's Advanced Technology Group.
Essentially, Cochran continued, the process is akin to that of a car's starter, and how turning the ignition sends a jolt of electricity into the solonoid, which then creates a magnetic field in the solonoid/starter system. With the railgun, he said, current is sent into the barrel, forming a magnetic field, and that, in combination with the current, exerts force on a projectile, firing it out of the barrel. At Mach 0.75.
While Raytheon has scored the $10 million project to develop the pulse-forming network, it isn't the only contractor working on such a system. According to Roger Ellis, the program manager for the Railgun program at the Office of Naval Research, the Navy has awarded similar contracts to BAE Systems and General Atomics in a risk-reduction strategy that counts on having multiple contractors attacking a problem in order to arrive at the best possible technology.
Safety
One of the main reasons behind the Navy's railgun program is that being able to power the gun electromagnetically is seen as much safer than having to use conventional explosives.

This is an image of the record-breaking 33 megajoule test of the railgun by the U.S. Navy.
(Credit: Office of Naval Research)
At the same time, because the power for the railgun will come from ships' standard battery banks, the Navy shouldn't have to maintain large amounts of space on board for storage of the explosives traditionally used to fire big guns. Still, that's an issue that hasn't entirely been solved yet, Cochran said. "The main challenge is to get large amounts of energy being stored into smaller and smaller packages," Cochran said, "such that they can be used in a modular and versatile way for multiple platforms."
At the same time, Raytheon and its competitors have to convince the Navy that they've solved all the potential safety problems that can come from having high voltage and high current in close proximity.
Multimission capability
The Navy began pursuing the railgun in 2005, and for now, there are only lab prototypes of the weapon. But already the Navy has set a world record (see video below) for muzzle energy used in a weapon--33 megajoules. According to Defense Market, a shot of that magnitude could potentially reach "extended ranges with Mach 5 velocity."

However, Ellis said, the Navy has awarded contracts to BAE and General Atomics to build prototypes that "are more tactical in nature."
And when the railgun is finally deployed, it is likely to be used--or at least be ready for action--in several different kinds of missions. First, Ellis explained, it could be used from a ship to fire inland in support of marines as they come ashore.
At the same time, because the weapon's range is so long, it could allow a Naval ship that features the railgun to defend itself from sea-borne threats long before it can itself be attacked, or from missiles fired from land or sea.
Now it's on to the next phase of the project. According to Ellis, that phase includes demonstrating that it's possible to fire a railgun at a rate of 10 rounds per minute, as well as doing new kinds of thermal and cooling tests. Ellis also said that while the Office of Naval Research has said that the railgun could be ready by 2025, that timing is when the work on the science and technology side of things could be done. Actual deployment could take longer owing to financial and political considerations.

Futuristic Navy railgun with 220-mile range closer to reality | Geek Gestalt - CNET News

 

[Chogy]

It's an interesting technology, but I have some concerns... how is it superior to a missile? In fact, it seems to be inferior to one in many ways.

If it is unguided, that means its ability to hit a moving target is going to be greatly limited. If the means of a kill is kinetic energy only, that is going to limit the damage.

One thing it has going for it is that the cost per shot would be pretty low. You have a projectile, and electricity. A nuclear reactor can provide all the cheap electricity it needs.

 

[poseidon]

CHOGY- I think the main purpose for this System is to destory fast Iranian speed boats.

 

[anonymus]

It's an interesting technology, but I have some concerns... how is it superior to a missile? In fact, it seems to be inferior to one in many ways.

If it is unguided, that means its ability to hit a moving target is going to be greatly limited. If the means of a kill is kinetic energy only, that is going to limit the damage.

One thing it has going for it is that the cost per shot would be pretty low. You have a projectile, and electricity. A nuclear reactor can provide all the cheap electricity it needs.

Chogy,

This technology may appear to be Inferior but it has advantage of raw numbers on its side.A guided missile howsoever advanced when fired towards a incoming missile may fail to hit it but hundreds of DU bullets in path of incoming warhead would certainly hit it.

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

ONLY one problem ..... if target moved the raid gun fire useless