US Navy on track for operationally capable railgun by 2019

[Limbo Pete]

So cool

 

[Foghorn Leghorn]

The rail gun doesn't matter. Direct fire weapons are dinosaurs.

They are probably showing this sideshow off to distract people from the truth - how they've been putting these things in LEO for 20 years.

Always gotta wonder the difference between what's acceptable to be shown publicly, and what's unavailable. Seems like it'd be far beyond, but maybe there's a ton of wasted money along the way preventing that from being true.

 

[GhostZ06]

I'm slightly obsessed with Project Thor, where the military was talking about dropping telephone pole-sized projectiles made out of tungsten from LEO on targets. From what I've read, they would have the power of a small nuclear warhead, but of course without the fallout.... I believe the limiting factors in the past (someone came up with this idea in the '50s) were around the cost to launch, but with SpaceX and other companies, I think that cost is coming down really fast. That would be an absolutely amazing weapon to have against Iran, North Korea etc.

I'm sure the testing would be pretty hard to hide from the public/other countries. "Oh that mountain in New Mexico on government land that just exploded and generated a small earthquake felt three states over? Um, probably natural causes I think" lol

that project was shelved for now, however it does give the united states airforce to go around the treaty. The problem is that it would be more powerful then any nuclear weapon on the planet

 

[Cirris]

They should name it the Misaka gun.

 

[Madmick]

You could level pretty much any port city in the world inside of half an hour with one of these things, couldn't you?

 

[SaiWa]

Hopefully the rail gun becomes a useful weapon. Or more likely a technology that will lead to a more advanced and useful one.

The "ammo" may be cheaper but the weapon itself is incredibly costly, takes up a lot of space and also has a high maintainability (time cost parts). It is cool as shit though...

 

[RerouteToRemain]

How HVP can revolutionize South Korean missile defense in 2018

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/...ize-south-korean-missile-defense-in-2018.html

How are the anti missile/drone lasers developing vs this type of stuff?

 

[GhostZ06]

You could level pretty much any port city in the world inside of half an hour with one of these things, couldn't you?

rods of god could do worst then that

 

[GhostZ06]

How are the anti missile/drone lasers developing vs this type of stuff?

lasers are pretty much in deployment right now and they are working higher watt KW lasers right now


been in development since 2009ish? lasers?


thats 60s-70s old tech and we have been trying to weaponize lasers since the 80s

 

[RerouteToRemain]

lasers are pretty much in deployment right now and they are working higher watt KW lasers right now


been in development since 2009ish? lasers?


thats 60s-70s old tech and we have been trying to weaponize lasers since the 80s

I thought this was pretty cool. It would be awesome if it could shoot down rockets/missiles with prolonged bursts.

 

[GhostZ06]

I thought this was pretty cool. It would be awesome if it could shoot down rockets/missiles with prolonged bursts.

yep they are testing those right now and they will be able to shoot down in coming missles

http://scout.com/military/warrior/A...ser-Weapon-From-Destroyers-Carriers-101455353

also they plan to put them on F-35 around 2021 and high end drones.

they are in limited production right now or in limited testing on ships..



The new carrier and DDG-1000 will be getting the high watt ones later on

 

[GhostZ06]

Possible Rail Gun Deployment on Navy Destroyers

Also, the Navy is evaluating whether to mount its new Electromagnetic Rail Gun weapon from the high-tech DDG 1000 destroyer by the mid-2020s, service officials said.

The DDG 1000’s Integrated Power System provides a large amount of on board electricity sufficient to accommodate the weapon, Navy developers have explained.

Navy leaders believe the DDG 1000 is the right ship to house the rail gun but that additional study was necessary to examine the risks.

Also, with a displacement of 15,482 tons, the DDG 1000 is 65-percent larger than existing 9,500- ton Aegis cruisers and destroyers.

The DDG 1,000 integrated power system, which includes its electric propulsion, helps generate more than 70 megawatts of on-board electrical power, something seen as key to the future when it comes to the possibility of firing a rail gun.

It is also possible that the weapon could someday be configured to fire from DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Something of that size is necessary, given the technological requirements of the weapon.

For example, the electromagnetic gun would most likely not work as a weapon for the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship.

its basically confirmed here that this will be the US navy standard by the mid 2020s. which is intresting because we should be getting a Frigate class vessel around then


http://scout.com/military/warrior/A...st-Rapid-Fire-Move-Closer-to-Combat-106215098

 

[Cirris]

yep they are testing those right now and they will be able to shoot down in coming missles

http://scout.com/military/warrior/A...ser-Weapon-From-Destroyers-Carriers-101455353

also they plan to put them on F-35 around 2021 and high end drones.

they are in limited production right now or in limited testing on ships..



The new carrier and DDG-1000 will be getting the high watt ones later on

 

[Orgasmo]

I just don't think railgun is all that it's hyped up to be.

1. You need massive amount of electrical energy to power the thing, which pretty much limits its deployment to large surface vessels.

2. It is outraged by missiles and some MRLS, with less precision.

 

[SeefourDC]

Hopefully the rail gun becomes a useful weapon. Or more likely a technology that will lead to a more advanced and useful one.

The "ammo" may be cheaper but the weapon itself is incredibly costly, takes up a lot of space and also has a high maintainability (time cost parts). It is cool as shit though...

You are actually missing the major advantages to this weapon. You can store significantly more shots on a single vessel with this weapon. The majority of the projectile you fire in current weapons is the charge to launch it. Not to mention the increased destructive power and limited explodable ordinance on your ship. Huge deal.

 

[jefferz]

I like French fries, but they're a little unhealthy

Freedom fries. This is Murica bro.

 

[AviatorShades]

I dunno at some point it feels like your spending trillions of $$ to develop weapons that have a maybe chance of stopping a $5 missile. Then it just cost another $5 and a few months of research to countermeasure whatever we just spent a trillion $ and 2032432023 years making. I have the feeling that we're building weaponry reactively instead of proactively and it would all be obsolete in a real war against a real enemy.

I just can't picture making stuff with world edge CPUs, world class engineers, etc. being the requirement to counter a dumb rocket being very realistic

Like the Simpsons episode wear they had an insect problem so they got mouses, then had a mouse problem, so they got cats, then had a cat problem so they got snakes..

The damage caused by a successful ICBM attack would surpass the lifetime r&d costs of a missile defense system in the blink of an eye.

 

[superpunch]

i used to be a top level player at that game. you could eliminate that entire laser crusader army with just 1 snd humvee and ambo

 

[SaiWa]

You are actually missing the major advantages to this weapon. You can store significantly more shots on a single vessel with this weapon. The majority of the projectile you fire in current weapons is the charge to launch it. Not to mention the increased destructive power and limited explodable ordinance on your ship. Huge deal.

Yes it's a major advantage but I am more worried about the development of the weapon. Ramping from 8MJ to 20MJ is going to be tough. I am concerned about the weapon being able to handle the stress at that level. They expect it to work by end of the year but it doesn't mean it's ready for fielding. I believe the goal is 100 miles range but upgraded powder guns with upgraded hyper velocity rounds are being built to a targeted 300 mile range at the fraction of the cost of the rail gun.

i think is an awesome tech but I think it has ways to go...

 

[GhostZ06]

Yes it's a major advantage but I am more worried about the development of the weapon. Ramping from 8MJ to 20MJ is going to be tough. I am concerned about the weapon being able to handle the stress at that level. They expect it to work by end of the year but it doesn't mean it's ready for fielding. I believe the goal is 100 miles range but upgraded powder guns with upgraded hyper velocity rounds are being built to a targeted 300 mile range at the fraction of the cost of the rail gun.

i think is an awesome tech but I think it has ways to go...

who knows, we have a lot of shit that isn't even in view of the public, i think thats the thing that i have to say doesnt have me concerned yet.



Don't forget we also have hyper-sonic missiles in development