Posted on 08/07/2004 9:50:13 PM PDT by VaBthang4
The U.S. Navy is preparing to break ground on a program dedicated to testing the science behind electromagnetic rail guns.
The Navy will begin the construction of a new building devoted to the project this summer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren, Va.
The Navy said it hopes it can develop an electromagnetic rail gun by 2010, and possibly deploy it aboard the electric-powered DD-X destroyer. Rail guns require a pulse power system to get instant electrical charges needed to accelerate projectiles to hypersonic velocities. Its rapid flight time and 200-kilometer range make these guns a tempting option for future naval weapons.
Researchers at Dahlgren will be studying the power supply, pulse forming networks and the rails themselves, said Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman David Caskey.
“The basic physics have been around for 80 years,” he said. “I think things opened up when the Navy decided their next generation ship would be electric.”
If the EM gun works as promised, it would add considerable firepower to the DD-X, which already is being designed with two 155 mm guns that fire GPS-guided shells out to about 100 kilometers, half the expected range of an EM gun.
Researchers figure that the power requirements associated with electromagnetic weapons would be easier to handle on an electric-powered ship.
Advances in alternating current power systems have made generators more compact. According to Lt. Cmdr. David Allen Adams, a pulse power system needed to support a 250-nautical mile rail gun could fit into existing 5-inch gun mounts. In a recent article published by the U.S. Naval Institute, Adams wrote that electromagnetic guns are projected to have low firing rates, hovering at about six shots a minute. However, the lower flight times and massive range—two minutes for payload to reach 100 miles—makes up for that deficit.
Another benefit of EM guns is that they do not require explosive warheads, reducing shipboard hazards.
“The projectile is basically going into space,” Caskey said. “It could really change the way you look at ballistics.”
Ah, you mean the weapon will fire a ballistic projectile? Interesting. Not really sure how much better than standard battleship rounds that would be, other than range.
I read about their using these things to place payloads into orbit so 250 miles is easy. It's actually probably almost the same thing.
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