From Naval Sea Systems Command Office of Corporate
Communication
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy plans to install and test
a prototype electromagnetic railgun aboard a joint high speed vessel in fiscal
year 2016, the service announced today.
This test will mark the first time an electromagnetic
railgun (EM railgun) has been demonstrated at sea, symbolizing a significant
advance in naval combat.
EM railgun technology uses an electromagnetic force - known
as the Lorenz Force - to rapidly accelerate and launch a projectile between two
conductive rails. This guided projectile is launched at such high velocities
that it can achieve greater ranges than conventional guns. It maintains enough
kinetic energy that it doesn't require any kind of high explosive payload when
it reaches its target.
High-energy EM railguns are expected to be lethal and
effective against multiple threats, including enemy warships, small boats,
aircraft, missiles and land-based targets.
"The electromagnetic railgun represents an incredible
new offensive capability for the U.S. Navy," said Rear Adm. Bryant Fuller,
the Navy's chief engineer. "This capability will allow us to effectively
counter a wide-range of threats at a relatively low cost, while keeping our
ships and sailors safer by removing the need to carry as many high-explosive
weapons."
EM railgun technology will complement current kinetic
weapons currently onboard surface combatants and offer a few specific
advantages. Against specific threats, the cost per engagement is orders of
magnitude less expensive than comparable missile engagements. The
projectile itself is being designed to be common with some
current powder guns, enabling the conservation of expensive missiles for use
against more complex threats.
"Energetic weapons, such as EM railguns, are the future
of naval combat," said Rear Adm. Matt Klunder, the chief of naval
research. "The U.S. Navy is at the forefront of this game-changing
technology."
This demonstration is the latest in a series of technical
maturation efforts designed to provide an
operational railgun to the fleet. Since 2005, the Navy and
its partners in industry and academia have been testing railgun technology at
the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va., and the Naval Research Lab
where the service has a number of prototype systems.
The final operational system will be capable of launching
guided, multi-mission projectiles to a
range of 110 nautical miles against a wide range of threats.
The series of tests are designed to
capture lessons for incorporation into a future tactical
design and will allow the Navy to best
understand needed ship modifications before fully
integrating the technology.
The Navy is using JHSV as a vessel of opportunity because of
its available cargo and topside
space and schedule flexibility. Because JHSVs are
non-combatants, there is no plan to
permanently install a railgun on any ship of the class. A
final decision has not been made on
which ship classes will receive a fully operational railgun.
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