The electro-magnetic gun program gets US$14.7 million

Gizmag ^ | 7/7/06 | Gizmag

[Grimas]

https://www.metalstorm.com

[Red Badger]

At Mach 8, a BB could destroy the missile........

[Reaganesque]

The gun is supposed to be on a nuclear powered naval ship. Would an EMP knock out a reactor? I second the call for someone with a bigger brain.

[Brilliant]

I think they were using the word "explosive" loosely in the second sentence. Basically, what it does is use magnets to accelerate the projectile, not explosion required.

[RonF]

Railguns do not require powders or explosives to fire the round and therefore free magazine space for other mission areas.

No, but I bet the electrical system takes up a bit more room.

[Brilliant]

Think of the recoil...

[12th_Monkey]

Works great on Stargate Atlantis.

[mc6809e]

And that's "only" 4000 fps -- much less than what is being described here. It would probably be difficult to create any such projectile that could withstand the incredible G forces in any case.

It's much easier with the EM railgun since constant acceleration can be applied over a distance.

With a long enough barrel, you could apply just a 1 G acceleration, and still get enough energy into a projectile to destroy something big.

[stylin_geek]

I just wonder what projectile trajectories are like when traveling at that kind of speed? Also, traveling that fast means you most certainly aren't going to lead a moving target by very much, giving the target very little time to evade.

[MattinNJ]

Mach 8 is actually the low end of the spectrum for how fast this thing will be able to fling projectiles.

That'll leave a mark

[MarkeyD]

I remember reading that in early research into rail guns, they would have to be rebuilt after each firing because they would destroy themselves.

[COEXERJ145]

Actually it has been considered for a later version of the DDX class vessel.

[MarkeyD]

Except the projectiles won't go through the Wraith shields.

[mc6809e]

No, but I bet the electrical system takes up a bit more room.

Sure, but there is probably an overall savings since they are basically using nuclear energy instead of chemical energy to throw projectiles. Chemical explosives take up much more room than some rods of U or Pu.

It's also much safer to get rid of all the explosives and just have the reactor. How many ships have sunk themselves because their own magazines went off?

[OldCorps]

the ultimate Zot!

[Teacher317]

Vermin

[Redleg Duke]

You mean Sid Vicious?

[12th_Monkey]

Worked on the darts

[TChris]

Vermin

Thank you!

[Redleg Duke]

You are right, Sid Vermin.