[theFIRMbss]

>He was speculating that it was some kind of 'rail gun' supplied (maybe for testing) to the Iraqi fighters by one of our communist friends

SpecWar Electron Accelerated Rifles Kenetic Energy Weapons (KEW) SWEAR ™ Prior to the collapse of Russia, they were sinking billions of rubles into developing miniture linear accelerators as weapons. The technology thrust was to have a handheld device capable of adding tremendous kinetic energy to a hyper-velocity projectile through magnetic acceleration. The so called "rail gun" developed by our own country is probably something that requires three 4Xs just to transport it. Probably has a long setup time and is worthless beyond line of sight shooting. Most rail guns are probably still using depleted uranium slugs. Not to take away from what is a awesome weapon. Most rail guns probably can deliver sufficient kinetic energy to their target to rip it apart. This would be comparable to shooting a beer can with a .357 magnum - it turns the thing inside out. The same would happen to a tank or troop carrier. Picture in your mind the perfect weapon: hand carried - fires a small caliber coated slug - delivers sufficient kinetic energy to destroy target - can swat air planes from the sky generating a ULF RF coupling an EMP to neutralize all smart weapons and vehicles forward. A platoon, so armed, could defeat the armies of most countries.

[bonesmccoy]

It's not a kinetic energy weapon.

The civilians in Iraq do not have enough electricity to store that much energy in a portable device.

[archy]

Picture in your mind the perfect weapon:

hand carried - fires a small caliber coated slug - delivers sufficient kinetic energy to destroy target - can swat air planes from the sky generating a ULF RF coupling an EMP to neutralize all smart weapons and vehicles forward. A platoon, so armed, could defeat the armies of most countries.

How terrifying!

[JasonC]

"hand carried - fires a small caliber coated slug - delivers sufficient kinetic energy to destroy target"

LOL. "And the recoil will take your freakin' arm off."

You can't put more KE into the round than you take yourself on your shoulder, or in a gun mount. If you have a 70 ton firing platform, you can throw 10s of millions of joules - and we do with tank main gun rounds. If you've got your wrist, you can throw 1000 joules - and will with a 357 magnum. But no, you can't throw tens of millions of joules with something you can hold in your hand. Your hand would fly off backwards...