US Navy Tests Supersonic Electromagnetic Gun

The US Navy is developing an electrically powered rail gun capable of firing missiles between 50 to 100 nautical miles at seven times the speed of sound. 

 

The 40ft (12.19m) long gun that shoots rounds at several times the speed of sound — is being developed for US Navy warships whose current 5in (12.7cm) guns have a range of about 15 miles (24km).

Known as an electromagnetic rail gun, the weapon consists of parallel rails and uses a magnetic field and electric current, instead of chemicals, to generate the energy required to fire the rounds.

The US Navy revealed a private sector built prototype is being tested at the Naval Surface Warfare Centre Dahlgren Division in northern Virginia, who released a short video showcasing the weapon's incredible power.

Scientists are currently focused on measuring the life-expectancy of the gun's barrel and its structural integrity given its capability of firing rounds at up to 5,600 miles per hour (9,010kph), or more than seven times the speed of sound.

It is estimated that five more years of research may be required to develop cooling systems that will allows the gun to cope with being fired repetitively. According to the Navy officials the desire is for the super-gun to fire ten rounds a minute and shoot missiles up to an astonishing 220 nautical miles.

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