Navy's Railgun

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd says dat'll fling a heap o' rails atta jihadis...

The Navy’s Railgun Will Get Faster, More Powerful This Summer
July 21, 2017 - The Navy’s futuristic electromagnetic railgun is set to take a major developmental step forward this summer as developers work to increase the number of shots it can fire per minute and the power behind the system.

The railgun has been a pet project for the Navy for more than a decade since early testing of a prototype for a shipboard system began in 2006. The gun uses electromagnetic force to launch projectiles at high speeds, allowing the system to function without the powder mechanism conventional shipboard guns. In theory, a railgun would be safer and potentially cheaper to fire than traditional weapons. Navy plans have called for installing the railgun on the Navy’s three DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers, but it’s not clear when that will happen. For now, officials with the Office of Naval Research are working to build the program up to its target capability envelope.

This summer and into next year, work will focus on increasing the power with which projectiles are fired to the target of 32 megajoules, and increasing what’s known as the rep rate to 10 shots per minute, or one every six seconds, said Dr. Tom Beutner, head of Naval Air Warfare and Weapons for ONR. At 32 megajoules, the gun will have a range of about 110 nautical miles, Beutner told reporters at ONR’s Science and Technology Expo in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Engineers will bring a new composite launcher designed to support the increased power and rep rate to Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Virginia’s Terminal Range, where railgun prototypes are already being fired using a demonstration barrel. “We expect that both … milestones will be achieved over the next year,” Beutner said of the planned rep rate and power increases.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) at terminal range located at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).​

The system still has crucial issues that need to be resolved. The system sustains significant wear-and-tear when it’s fired because of the power behind the projectile, leading to worries that the gun will break down too fast. Beutner said that parts of the system are being developed for longevity. “They’ve extended the launcher core life from tens of shots’ core life when program started to something that’s now been fired over 400 times and … we anticipate barrels will be able to do over 1,000 shots,” he said.

Another key issue is power.

The system requires massive amounts of it — so much that only the massive Zumwalt-class ships can independently sustain the demand. Beutner noted that the challenge applied to other weapons as well: when the Navy tested its new Laser Weapons System aboard the amphibious transport ship Ponce this month, testers took their own power sources with them to simplify the challenge. “ONR is starting to look at that … what that future ship power system needs to be in order to power, not just railgun, but a variety of electromagnetic weapons,” he said. ” … Power generation and storage approaches are all part of what we’re researching as well.”

The Navy's Railgun Will Get Faster, More Powerful This Summer - Defensetech

See also:

Quadcopter That Swims and Flies Could Be Used for Navy Special Ops
July 21, 2017 - It’s a bird! It’s a fish! It’s … the Naviator. At the Office of Naval Research’s annual Science and Technology Expo on Friday in Washington, D.C., a development team from Rutgers University demonstrated the unusual quadcopter, which can swim at depths of up to 10 meters, then seamlessly launch to the surface and soar into the air.

The drone, developed with sponsorship from the Office of Naval Research, shows promise as a tool for mine countermeasures and port security, to name a few possibilities. There’s also interest from the special operations community, said Dr. Marc Contarino, vice president of technology for the program. It carries a 360-degree waterproof camera, making it well-suited for security and bridge and ship inspections, among other missions. “Special ops have not told us exactly what they want. But we know for special ops, it’s all about speed and not being detected,” Contarino told Military.com. “So we’re building our system to be as fast as possible.”

While current prototypes are not much larger than a typical commercial quadcopter, Contarino said there are plans to build a six-foot-diameter model capable of carrying the 30-pound payload the Navy wants for its mine countermeasure mission. That UAV will be able to operate in waves of three-to-five feet and in 30-mile-per-hour winds, he said. Developers have already put the Naviator through its paces in real-world conditions, launching the drone from the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River and from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. “Since we’re a Navy sponsor, I tried to find the biggest boat I could to showcase it,” Contarino said.

When a Phase Two development contract begins for the Naviator in 2018, Contarino said the team plans to expand its operational envelope, including work to develop a model that can operate at depths of up to 30 meters, and development of pressure-resistant features that could support much greater depths. Whether the Naviator spends more time underwater or flying over it depends entirely on the mission. “[It acts as if] air is a fluid, water is a fluid, and it doesn’t care,” Contarino said. ” … So we think the Navy really likes it because it does the air, the surface, and the underwater mission.”

Quadcopter That Swims and Flies Could Be Used for Navy Special Ops | DoD Buzz

Related:

Trump Welcomes New High-tech Warship to Navy
23 Jul 2017 | The USS Gerald Ford will lend its name to a new class of warship, designed to replace Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

President Donald Trump on Saturday presided over the commissioning of the U.S. Navy's newest next-generation aircraft carrier -- a trip that offered a brief escape from the swirling political drama in Washington. Trump appeared to revel in the pomp and pageantry of the ceremony on board the warship at the sprawling Norfolk naval base in Virginia, which included a 21-gun salute, and the hoisting of the Stars and Stripes on the ship's mast. "American steel and American hands have constructed a 100,000-ton message to the world: American might is second to none, and we're getting bigger and better and stronger every day of my administration," Trump said. "Wherever this vessel cuts through the horizon, our allies will rest easy and our enemies will shake with fear, because everyone will know that America is coming and America is coming strong."

President Donald Trump is welcomed by Captain Rick McCormack, the USS Gerald R. Ford's commanding officer, on the carrier's flight deck July 22 in Norfolk, Va​

The $12.9 billion USS Gerald R. Ford -- named after America's 38th president -- is a hulking nuclear-powered giant that is the first of a new generation of aircraft carriers. The colossal warship was plagued by cost overruns and, in the past, Trump criticized the budget allocated for the super-ship. The short 45-minute flight to Norfolk allowed Trump what was sure to be a welcome respite from the political upheaval of recent days -- from a shake-up of his communications team to the ongoing Russia scandal.

Before heading south from Washington, Trump fired a salvo of nearly a dozen tweets, touching on the issues and people that gave him headaches this week -- the special prosecutor looking into his team's ties with Moscow, his attorney general, failed efforts to pass health care reform and the media. And he had another go at his onetime election rival Hillary Clinton, asking why investigators were looking into his son Don Jr.'s meeting with a Russian attorney, and not reopening a probe into the Democrat's email woes.

- Next-generation supercarrier -

None of that, however, factored into Trump's visit to Norfolk to celebrate America's military might. "This ship is the deterrent that keeps us from having to fight in the first place, but this ship also assures that if a fight does come, it will always end the same way -- we will win, win, win," Trump said. The commander-in-chief allowed himself a few comments of a political nature, calling on Congress to back his request for a defense budget hike. "We do not want cost overruns. We want the best equipment, but we want it built ahead of schedule and we want it built under budget," Trump said.

Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales, formally welcomed the ship to the Navy's fleet with the words: "Man our ship and bring her to life!"[ The USS Gerald Ford lends its name to a new class of ship, designed to replace Nimitz-class carriers as they reach the end of their 50-year service life. Another Ford-class ship, the John F. Kennedy, is under construction. Naval officials want the fleet to have 12 supercarriers by 2031, and Trump has said he wants to expand the entire naval fleet. The Ford's commissioning brings the fleet's carrier strength to 11. No other nation's aircraft carrier capabilities come close -- Russia has only one.

MORE

 

[william the wie]

Definitely needed

 

[tycho1572]

 

[Scamp]

What a great new technology to bring upon our enemies.

 

[longknife]

New Rail Gun Ready for Testing

It’s listed as 10 Megajoules and I had to learn just what that means. Here’s an explanation:

The megajoule (MJ) is equal to one million (106) joules, or approximately the kinetic energy of a one megagram (tonne) vehicle moving at 160 km/h. One kilowatt hour of electricity is 3.6 megajoules.

Joule - Wikipedia

Joule - Wikipedia

So, putting it in perspective, this new railgun equals the power of an 11 ton truck moving at 99.4 miles per hour.

That’s a lot of power. The story is @ New railgun ready for testing

 

[Divine Wind]

Uncle Ferd says dat'll fling a heap o' rails atta jihadis...

The Navy’s Railgun Will Get Faster, More Powerful This Summer
July 21, 2017 - The Navy’s futuristic electromagnetic railgun is set to take a major developmental step forward this summer as developers work to increase the number of shots it can fire per minute and the power behind the system.

The railgun has been a pet project for the Navy for more than a decade since early testing of a prototype for a shipboard system began in 2006. The gun uses electromagnetic force to launch projectiles at high speeds, allowing the system to function without the powder mechanism conventional shipboard guns. In theory, a railgun would be safer and potentially cheaper to fire than traditional weapons. Navy plans have called for installing the railgun on the Navy’s three DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers, but it’s not clear when that will happen. For now, officials with the Office of Naval Research are working to build the program up to its target capability envelope.

This summer and into next year, work will focus on increasing the power with which projectiles are fired to the target of 32 megajoules, and increasing what’s known as the rep rate to 10 shots per minute, or one every six seconds, said Dr. Tom Beutner, head of Naval Air Warfare and Weapons for ONR. At 32 megajoules, the gun will have a range of about 110 nautical miles, Beutner told reporters at ONR’s Science and Technology Expo in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Engineers will bring a new composite launcher designed to support the increased power and rep rate to Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Virginia’s Terminal Range, where railgun prototypes are already being fired using a demonstration barrel. “We expect that both … milestones will be achieved over the next year,” Beutner said of the planned rep rate and power increases.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) at terminal range located at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).​

The system still has crucial issues that need to be resolved. The system sustains significant wear-and-tear when it’s fired because of the power behind the projectile, leading to worries that the gun will break down too fast. Beutner said that parts of the system are being developed for longevity. “They’ve extended the launcher core life from tens of shots’ core life when program started to something that’s now been fired over 400 times and … we anticipate barrels will be able to do over 1,000 shots,” he said.

Another key issue is power.

The system requires massive amounts of it — so much that only the massive Zumwalt-class ships can independently sustain the demand. Beutner noted that the challenge applied to other weapons as well: when the Navy tested its new Laser Weapons System aboard the amphibious transport ship Ponce this month, testers took their own power sources with them to simplify the challenge. “ONR is starting to look at that … what that future ship power system needs to be in order to power, not just railgun, but a variety of electromagnetic weapons,” he said. ” … Power generation and storage approaches are all part of what we’re researching as well.”

The Navy's Railgun Will Get Faster, More Powerful This Summer - Defensetech

See also:

Quadcopter That Swims and Flies Could Be Used for Navy Special Ops
July 21, 2017 - It’s a bird! It’s a fish! It’s … the Naviator. At the Office of Naval Research’s annual Science and Technology Expo on Friday in Washington, D.C., a development team from Rutgers University demonstrated the unusual quadcopter, which can swim at depths of up to 10 meters, then seamlessly launch to the surface and soar into the air.

The drone, developed with sponsorship from the Office of Naval Research, shows promise as a tool for mine countermeasures and port security, to name a few possibilities. There’s also interest from the special operations community, said Dr. Marc Contarino, vice president of technology for the program. It carries a 360-degree waterproof camera, making it well-suited for security and bridge and ship inspections, among other missions. “Special ops have not told us exactly what they want. But we know for special ops, it’s all about speed and not being detected,” Contarino told Military.com. “So we’re building our system to be as fast as possible.”

While current prototypes are not much larger than a typical commercial quadcopter, Contarino said there are plans to build a six-foot-diameter model capable of carrying the 30-pound payload the Navy wants for its mine countermeasure mission. That UAV will be able to operate in waves of three-to-five feet and in 30-mile-per-hour winds, he said. Developers have already put the Naviator through its paces in real-world conditions, launching the drone from the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River and from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. “Since we’re a Navy sponsor, I tried to find the biggest boat I could to showcase it,” Contarino said.

When a Phase Two development contract begins for the Naviator in 2018, Contarino said the team plans to expand its operational envelope, including work to develop a model that can operate at depths of up to 30 meters, and development of pressure-resistant features that could support much greater depths. Whether the Naviator spends more time underwater or flying over it depends entirely on the mission. “[It acts as if] air is a fluid, water is a fluid, and it doesn’t care,” Contarino said. ” … So we think the Navy really likes it because it does the air, the surface, and the underwater mission.”

Quadcopter That Swims and Flies Could Be Used for Navy Special Ops | DoD Buzz

Related:

Trump Welcomes New High-tech Warship to Navy
23 Jul 2017 | The USS Gerald Ford will lend its name to a new class of warship, designed to replace Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

President Donald Trump on Saturday presided over the commissioning of the U.S. Navy's newest next-generation aircraft carrier -- a trip that offered a brief escape from the swirling political drama in Washington. Trump appeared to revel in the pomp and pageantry of the ceremony on board the warship at the sprawling Norfolk naval base in Virginia, which included a 21-gun salute, and the hoisting of the Stars and Stripes on the ship's mast. "American steel and American hands have constructed a 100,000-ton message to the world: American might is second to none, and we're getting bigger and better and stronger every day of my administration," Trump said. "Wherever this vessel cuts through the horizon, our allies will rest easy and our enemies will shake with fear, because everyone will know that America is coming and America is coming strong."

President Donald Trump is welcomed by Captain Rick McCormack, the USS Gerald R. Ford's commanding officer, on the carrier's flight deck July 22 in Norfolk, Va​

The $12.9 billion USS Gerald R. Ford -- named after America's 38th president -- is a hulking nuclear-powered giant that is the first of a new generation of aircraft carriers. The colossal warship was plagued by cost overruns and, in the past, Trump criticized the budget allocated for the super-ship. The short 45-minute flight to Norfolk allowed Trump what was sure to be a welcome respite from the political upheaval of recent days -- from a shake-up of his communications team to the ongoing Russia scandal.

Before heading south from Washington, Trump fired a salvo of nearly a dozen tweets, touching on the issues and people that gave him headaches this week -- the special prosecutor looking into his team's ties with Moscow, his attorney general, failed efforts to pass health care reform and the media. And he had another go at his onetime election rival Hillary Clinton, asking why investigators were looking into his son Don Jr.'s meeting with a Russian attorney, and not reopening a probe into the Democrat's email woes.

- Next-generation supercarrier -

None of that, however, factored into Trump's visit to Norfolk to celebrate America's military might. "This ship is the deterrent that keeps us from having to fight in the first place, but this ship also assures that if a fight does come, it will always end the same way -- we will win, win, win," Trump said. The commander-in-chief allowed himself a few comments of a political nature, calling on Congress to back his request for a defense budget hike. "We do not want cost overruns. We want the best equipment, but we want it built ahead of schedule and we want it built under budget," Trump said.

Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales, formally welcomed the ship to the Navy's fleet with the words: "Man our ship and bring her to life!"[ The USS Gerald Ford lends its name to a new class of ship, designed to replace Nimitz-class carriers as they reach the end of their 50-year service life. Another Ford-class ship, the John F. Kennedy, is under construction. Naval officials want the fleet to have 12 supercarriers by 2031, and Trump has said he wants to expand the entire naval fleet. The Ford's commissioning brings the fleet's carrier strength to 11. No other nation's aircraft carrier capabilities come close -- Russia has only one.

MORE

Anyone who ever read Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" knows that a Lunar railgun can do a lot of damage with several thousand pounds of rocks.

 

[whitehall]

The problem is that the days of the gigantic navy sea battles are over and the fat assed Admirals don't seem to understand it. There are no legitimate targets for such a weapon. The N.K. captured a U.S. ship on LBJ's watch in 1968 without firing a shot. The USS Pueblo is still on display in N.K.'s Wonson harbor. George W. Bush's Navy didn't have permission to fire on suicide jihadist teenagers in a freaking speedboat that almost took out the USS Cole in 2000.The Iranian "navy" captured a boatload of U.S. Sailors under Barry Hussein's watch and it cost about a billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars and Hussein's sincere apology for the misunderstanding. What the U.S. Military needs is leadership rather than star wars weapons.

 

[Divine Wind]

The problem is that the days of the gigantic sea battles are over and the fat assed Admirals don't seem to understand it. There are no legitimate targets for such a weapon. The N.K. captured a U.S. ship on Carter's watch without firing a shot. The Iranian "navy" captured a boat load of U.S. Sailors without firing a shot. Barry Hussein's Navy didn't even have permission to fire on suicide jihadist teenagers in a freaking speedboat that almost took out the USS Cole. What we need is leadership not futuristic weapons.

Disagreed on your conclusion that a navy is no longer important because there is little likelihood of "gigantic sea battles".

In case you haven't noticed, the world is over 75% water. If you accept the problems of Global Warming, that percentage is about to increase over the next century or two. Most of our trade is via shipping. Who will protect the shipping lanes if there is no navy?

 

[longknife]

Uncle Ferd says dat'll fling a heap o' rails atta jihadis...

The Navy’s Railgun Will Get Faster, More Powerful This Summer
July 21, 2017 - The Navy’s futuristic electromagnetic railgun is set to take a major developmental step forward this summer as developers work to increase the number of shots it can fire per minute and the power behind the system.

The railgun has been a pet project for the Navy for more than a decade since early testing of a prototype for a shipboard system began in 2006. The gun uses electromagnetic force to launch projectiles at high speeds, allowing the system to function without the powder mechanism conventional shipboard guns. In theory, a railgun would be safer and potentially cheaper to fire than traditional weapons. Navy plans have called for installing the railgun on the Navy’s three DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers, but it’s not clear when that will happen. For now, officials with the Office of Naval Research are working to build the program up to its target capability envelope.

This summer and into next year, work will focus on increasing the power with which projectiles are fired to the target of 32 megajoules, and increasing what’s known as the rep rate to 10 shots per minute, or one every six seconds, said Dr. Tom Beutner, head of Naval Air Warfare and Weapons for ONR. At 32 megajoules, the gun will have a range of about 110 nautical miles, Beutner told reporters at ONR’s Science and Technology Expo in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Engineers will bring a new composite launcher designed to support the increased power and rep rate to Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, Virginia’s Terminal Range, where railgun prototypes are already being fired using a demonstration barrel. “We expect that both … milestones will be achieved over the next year,” Beutner said of the planned rep rate and power increases.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) at terminal range located at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).​

The system still has crucial issues that need to be resolved. The system sustains significant wear-and-tear when it’s fired because of the power behind the projectile, leading to worries that the gun will break down too fast. Beutner said that parts of the system are being developed for longevity. “They’ve extended the launcher core life from tens of shots’ core life when program started to something that’s now been fired over 400 times and … we anticipate barrels will be able to do over 1,000 shots,” he said.

Another key issue is power.

The system requires massive amounts of it — so much that only the massive Zumwalt-class ships can independently sustain the demand. Beutner noted that the challenge applied to other weapons as well: when the Navy tested its new Laser Weapons System aboard the amphibious transport ship Ponce this month, testers took their own power sources with them to simplify the challenge. “ONR is starting to look at that … what that future ship power system needs to be in order to power, not just railgun, but a variety of electromagnetic weapons,” he said. ” … Power generation and storage approaches are all part of what we’re researching as well.”

The Navy's Railgun Will Get Faster, More Powerful This Summer - Defensetech

See also:

Quadcopter That Swims and Flies Could Be Used for Navy Special Ops
July 21, 2017 - It’s a bird! It’s a fish! It’s … the Naviator. At the Office of Naval Research’s annual Science and Technology Expo on Friday in Washington, D.C., a development team from Rutgers University demonstrated the unusual quadcopter, which can swim at depths of up to 10 meters, then seamlessly launch to the surface and soar into the air.

The drone, developed with sponsorship from the Office of Naval Research, shows promise as a tool for mine countermeasures and port security, to name a few possibilities. There’s also interest from the special operations community, said Dr. Marc Contarino, vice president of technology for the program. It carries a 360-degree waterproof camera, making it well-suited for security and bridge and ship inspections, among other missions. “Special ops have not told us exactly what they want. But we know for special ops, it’s all about speed and not being detected,” Contarino told Military.com. “So we’re building our system to be as fast as possible.”

While current prototypes are not much larger than a typical commercial quadcopter, Contarino said there are plans to build a six-foot-diameter model capable of carrying the 30-pound payload the Navy wants for its mine countermeasure mission. That UAV will be able to operate in waves of three-to-five feet and in 30-mile-per-hour winds, he said. Developers have already put the Naviator through its paces in real-world conditions, launching the drone from the Delaware Memorial Bridge over the Delaware River and from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. “Since we’re a Navy sponsor, I tried to find the biggest boat I could to showcase it,” Contarino said.

When a Phase Two development contract begins for the Naviator in 2018, Contarino said the team plans to expand its operational envelope, including work to develop a model that can operate at depths of up to 30 meters, and development of pressure-resistant features that could support much greater depths. Whether the Naviator spends more time underwater or flying over it depends entirely on the mission. “[It acts as if] air is a fluid, water is a fluid, and it doesn’t care,” Contarino said. ” … So we think the Navy really likes it because it does the air, the surface, and the underwater mission.”

Quadcopter That Swims and Flies Could Be Used for Navy Special Ops | DoD Buzz

Related:

Trump Welcomes New High-tech Warship to Navy
23 Jul 2017 | The USS Gerald Ford will lend its name to a new class of warship, designed to replace Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

President Donald Trump on Saturday presided over the commissioning of the U.S. Navy's newest next-generation aircraft carrier -- a trip that offered a brief escape from the swirling political drama in Washington. Trump appeared to revel in the pomp and pageantry of the ceremony on board the warship at the sprawling Norfolk naval base in Virginia, which included a 21-gun salute, and the hoisting of the Stars and Stripes on the ship's mast. "American steel and American hands have constructed a 100,000-ton message to the world: American might is second to none, and we're getting bigger and better and stronger every day of my administration," Trump said. "Wherever this vessel cuts through the horizon, our allies will rest easy and our enemies will shake with fear, because everyone will know that America is coming and America is coming strong."

President Donald Trump is welcomed by Captain Rick McCormack, the USS Gerald R. Ford's commanding officer, on the carrier's flight deck July 22 in Norfolk, Va​

The $12.9 billion USS Gerald R. Ford -- named after America's 38th president -- is a hulking nuclear-powered giant that is the first of a new generation of aircraft carriers. The colossal warship was plagued by cost overruns and, in the past, Trump criticized the budget allocated for the super-ship. The short 45-minute flight to Norfolk allowed Trump what was sure to be a welcome respite from the political upheaval of recent days -- from a shake-up of his communications team to the ongoing Russia scandal.

Before heading south from Washington, Trump fired a salvo of nearly a dozen tweets, touching on the issues and people that gave him headaches this week -- the special prosecutor looking into his team's ties with Moscow, his attorney general, failed efforts to pass health care reform and the media. And he had another go at his onetime election rival Hillary Clinton, asking why investigators were looking into his son Don Jr.'s meeting with a Russian attorney, and not reopening a probe into the Democrat's email woes.

- Next-generation supercarrier -

None of that, however, factored into Trump's visit to Norfolk to celebrate America's military might. "This ship is the deterrent that keeps us from having to fight in the first place, but this ship also assures that if a fight does come, it will always end the same way -- we will win, win, win," Trump said. The commander-in-chief allowed himself a few comments of a political nature, calling on Congress to back his request for a defense budget hike. "We do not want cost overruns. We want the best equipment, but we want it built ahead of schedule and we want it built under budget," Trump said.

Ford's daughter, Susan Ford Bales, formally welcomed the ship to the Navy's fleet with the words: "Man our ship and bring her to life!"[ The USS Gerald Ford lends its name to a new class of ship, designed to replace Nimitz-class carriers as they reach the end of their 50-year service life. Another Ford-class ship, the John F. Kennedy, is under construction. Naval officials want the fleet to have 12 supercarriers by 2031, and Trump has said he wants to expand the entire naval fleet. The Ford's commissioning brings the fleet's carrier strength to 11. No other nation's aircraft carrier capabilities come close -- Russia has only one.

MORE

Anyone who ever read Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" knows that a Lunar railgun can do a lot of damage with several thousand pounds of rocks.

Isn't it amazing that a book written in 1966 would contain technology just now becoming usable 51 years later. Some of those authors came up with amazing stuff that we take for granted today.

 

[jon_berzerk]

built a miniature version in electricity class in junior high

 

[Divine Wind]

built a miniature version in electricity class in junior high

How well did it work? Did it shoot a projectile? At what speed? Distance?

One of my first welding projects was a trebuchet launching golf balls. Six foot arm launched them about 75 yards.

 

[Two Thumbs]

When you absolutely, positively, have to FUBAR something...

 

[jon_berzerk]

built a miniature version in electricity class in junior high

How well did it work? Did it shoot a projectile? At what speed? Distance?

One of my first welding projects was a trebuchet launching golf balls. Six foot arm launched them about 75 yards.

yes it worked well it would easily shoot a nut across the room

 

[waltky]

Full steam ahead for Navy on railgun...

Navy 'Fully Invested' in Futuristic Railgun, Top Officer Says
9 Mar 2018 - Following a flurry of reports in December predicting the Navy's $500 million electromagnetic railgun experiment was dead on arrival, the chief of Naval Operations told lawmakers this week that the death of the program was greatly exaggerated.

"[We are] fully invested in railgun; we continue to test it," Adm. John Richardson told the House Appropriations subcommittee on defense during a Wednesday hearing on Navy and Marine Corps budget issues. "We've demonstrated it at lower firing rates and ... shorter ranges. Now we have to do the engineering to, sort of, crank it up and get it at the designated firing rates, at the 80- to 100-mile range." Richardson was responding to a question from Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who expressed concern about the proven capability of the Navy's railgun weapon, which has yet to leave its test site at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Virginia. "My understanding is these weapons can fire projectiles at extremely high speeds with a range exceeding a hundred miles once fully operational," Ryan said. "I know China has demonstrated a capability for shipboard railguns, and I'm just concerned, again, that maybe we're falling short here."

Photos showing what appears to be a railgun mounted on the Chinese landing ship tank Haiyang Shan emerged in February. The evidence of what appears to be deployable Chinese railgun technology came to light following a handful of reports indicating the Navy's own gun development program was losing steam. Business Insider reported in December that the Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities office was shifting research efforts from the railgun, which uses electromagnetic energy to shoot large projectiles at speeds of up to 4,500 miles per hour, to broader high-velocity projectile study. The Navy has never acknowledged a loss of interest in railgun technology, however. Last July, officials with the Office of Naval Research told reporters that the power behind the gun would be increased to 32 megajoules over the summer, giving the weapon a range of 110 miles.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) at terminal range located at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division​

In testimony Wednesday, Richardson indicated the weapon had yet to reach that range in spite of predictions. "That involves a number of technologies," he said. "The barrel itself is probably the limiting case, the engineering on that, the materials required to sustain that power pulse, and the heat and pressure that's involved in launching those projectiles. And we're doubling down on that." Engineers have found the gun's barrel wears out rapidly when metal projectiles are fired at the blistering rates the railgun's technology delivers. Another unresolved issue is the power source for the gun; currently only the new three-ship Zumwalt class of class of mega-destroyers is reportedly capable of supplying the electromagnetic charge needed to operate the gun. The Navy wants to deploy a version of the railgun aboard smaller-sized destroyers.

While Richardson acknowledged the challenges and said Navy brass were "very conscious" of reported Chinese achievements in railgun technology, he maintained the service was still invested in the program. "As a benefit, too, of the program -- the railgun program, we have developed a projectile -- high-velocity projectile, which is actually usable across the fleet in a number of different applications, not only in the railgun," Richardson said. "And so, it's a very fruitful program that we continue to invest in."

Navy 'Fully Invested' in Futuristic Railgun, Top Officer Says