Article

2007-01-19 Science & Technology

Navy Tests High-Tech Railgun in Virginia

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Posted by Fred 2007-01-19 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 At least somebody found a use for a Taurus.

Posted by Mike N. 2007-01-19 00:38|| 2007-01-19 00:38|| Front Page Top

#2 We (industrialized nations) have a lot of staff. Now, all we need, is the will to use it on the barbs.

Posted by gromgoru 2007-01-19 06:46|| 2007-01-19 06:46|| Front Page Top

#3 http://www.exn.ca/video/?video=exn20040407-plasmaboy.asx

Posted by Skidmark 2007-01-19 07:16|| 2007-01-19 07:16|| Front Page Top

#4 If folks worry about the magnetic fields around power lines and cell phones, what are they going to say about 32 megajoule pulses? And it had better not screw up my tv signal.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-01-19 07:49|| 2007-01-19 07:49|| Front Page Top

#5 When they first started messing with this stuff in the 70s, I read that they could accelerate a [forgotten figure, on the order of an ounce] pellet to escape velocity.

Imagine taking out a tank - and part of the real estate behind it - with a .45 round.

Posted by Fred 2007-01-19 09:16|| 2007-01-19 09:16|| Front Page Top

#6 "Fire the wave-motion gun!"

Posted by Pappy 2007-01-19 09:44|| 2007-01-19 09:44|| Front Page Top

#7 Now to put that auto feeder on it.
By the way, I believe there is no recoil with such a propulsion system, and rapid fire is definitely within normal operation.

Posted by wxjames 2007-01-19 11:29|| 2007-01-19 11:29|| Front Page Top

#8 Assuming of course you can generate enough electricity to drive a rapid fire operation, then sure.

1.21 GIGAWATTS!!!

Posted by Anon4021 2007-01-19 11:45|| 2007-01-19 11:45|| Front Page Top

#9 er...

1.21 jigawatts

Posted by Anon4021 2007-01-19 11:53|| 2007-01-19 11:53|| Front Page Top

#10 For nuke powered ships, a row of gauss cannon should be easily powered.

The question is how feasable having a generator+capacitors makes this viable for a tank, since you can use lighter rounds and not have to worry as much about brewing up.

Posted by Trub 2007-01-19 12:17|| 2007-01-19 12:17|| Front Page Top

#11 Feasible for a ship from an energy stanpoint. An Aegis destroyer's engines generates 100MW shaft power, say 90MW for a generator if electric drive, or enough power to sustain 1 shot per second at 60MJ per shot plus rapid fire ability from reserve power stored in ultracapacitors.

For a tank, maybe. The best tank cannons generate near 20MJ kinetic energy.
If the claims of ultracapacitor startup EEStor are true (not yet verified ), a 52kWH (187 MegaJoules) ultracap storage pack weighs 400 pounds. 5 or 6 such packs may be enough for 40 shots assuming the ultracaps can discharge enough energy in miliseconds. A 1500 shaft horsepower turbine on an M1 tank can generate 1.0 MW electricy, enough to sustain only 2 shots/minute after the stored energy is drained. Add to that the need for a generator, hybrid or electric drive, ultracap and electronics storage volume balanced against the elimination of the loader crewman, small ammo volume, possibly even higher rate of fire and ability to tailor muzzle velocity to the target.

BTW, a 52kWH ultracap can power an electric car for 200 miles.

Posted by ed 2007-01-19 13:16|| 2007-01-19 13:16|| Front Page Top

#12 The "rods from God" weapon system has been criticized for the high cost of putting such weapons into orbit. Rail guns drastically cut the price, and could conceivably make it possible to bombard the other side of the world using suborbital and orbital projectiles at a much lower cost. Maybe rail guns on naval vessels aren't the only possible application.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-01-19 13:19|| 2007-01-19 13:19|| Front Page Top

#13 Nice to see our military put the Quake weaponry to good use.

about time.

Posted by danking_70 2007-01-19 13:39|| 2007-01-19 13:39|| Front Page Top

#14 Yeh , nice of us Brits to help out in the beginning too :)

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2003/05/mil-030512-navsea04.htm

Posted by MacNails 2007-01-19 13:49|| 2007-01-19 13:49|| Front Page Top

#15 USN WIfe used to work @ Dahlgren: whenever they tested Battleship guns ( had a bunch of 16 " barrels laying around) they had to clear the river downstream and depending on the weather, herd the staff that was nearby into little noise shelters, that looked like thick concrete bus stops. I got to go over and play with some really neat airplane related spooky stuff, and the station looks like an 'A'Team playground.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2007-01-19 15:11|| 2007-01-19 15:11|| Front Page Top

#16 Now we need a land based platform to launch "Rods From God" type weapons ballistically from a comfortable place.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2007-01-19 18:00|| 2007-01-19 18:00|| Front Page Top

#17 North Dakota has a lot of old missile launch sites not being used at the moment.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-01-19 18:50|| 2007-01-19 18:50|| Front Page Top

#18 Now that they have unveiled this maybe the Navy ought to think about restoring Bussard's fusion research budget and if the DOE complains tell 'em to go piss up a rope

http://www.askmar.com/ConferenceNotes/2006-9%20IAC%20Paper.pdf

video of his talk at Google last year

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1996321846673788606

Be warned it is about 1-1/2 hours long

Posted by Cheddarhead 2007-01-19 20:10|| 2007-01-19 20:10|| Front Page Top

#19 Multi-capable Arsenal Ships + Aircraft Carriers maried to CATAMARAN HULLS + GMD/SPAWAR [FLOATING BATTLE STATIONS/SEA FORTS]. Multi surface warfare designs in one.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-01-19 22:13|| 2007-01-19 22:13|| Front Page Top

#20 Be sure to thank God, or at least Madonna + SIblings, for dev Coconuts + Tropical Islands. The next time PAULA "DELILAH/BATHSHEBA" ABDUL kicks a tropical plant, have her arrested.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-01-19 22:15|| 2007-01-19 22:15|| Front Page Top

08:09 The Don
08:06 The Don
08:04 The Don
08:02 The Don
23:55 Barbara Skolaut
23:52 Swamp Blondie
23:50 Barbara Skolaut
23:45 JosephMendiola
23:41 Charles de Gaulle
23:31 JosephMendiola
23:31 USN, ret.
23:26 USN, ret.
23:21 JosephMendiola
23:11 JosephMendiola
23:07 JosephMendiola
23:03 Shieldwolf
23:02 JosephMendiola
23:00 Thinemp Whimble2412
22:59 Shieldwolf
22:59 Mike N.
22:51 USN, ret.
22:46 JosephMendiola
22:41 jds
22:35 JosephMendiola