Let's slow down for a minute
and take a look back
The
earliest mention and testing of something similar
to an electro-magnetic rail gun is called a coil
gun. A french inventor by the name of Louis
Octave Fauchon-Villeplee came up with an electric
cannon in 1918. Throughout the years other
scientist worked on similar projects and tried to
come up with greater means of propelling a
projectile with electric current.
Within the last decade great advances with this
technology have brought it into military use once
again. The US Navy along with several
contractors have developed a system capable of
firing a projectile that reaches speeds of Mach 5
or 3836.35 mph. These projectiles deliver an
intense amount of kinetic energy upon striking
their target and even though they aren't explosive
rounds themselves they can cause as much damage as
a single tomahawk missile.
Some calculations for future systems have them
able to deliver potential speeds of Mach 10
(7672.69 mph) and being able to travel 220 miles
per round. With this large of a range these
guns are capable of going 10 times farther than
any other gun currently in use.
There are several limiting factors to these guns
which is why they are still at a developmental
stage instead of being used everywhere.
First and foremost is the amount of power needed
to fire the projectile, the US Navy wants to be
able to shoot 10 rounds per minute which would
require 32 megajoules. Another issue needing
to be overcome is the material being used to
construct the various parts. These guns can
damage themselves and need to have much more
robust launcher cores and barrels. However,
when a challenge is presented you will always find
someone willing to take it head on. By 2025
the US Navy plans to have several ships equipped
with these advanced weapon systems.
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Casing separating from round after
exiting barrel.
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