Military History | How To Make War | Wars Around the World Rules of Use How to Behave on an Internet Forum
Dirty Little Links Discussion Board
   Return to Topic Page
Subject: Navy Gets 8-Megajoule Rail Gun Working
yojimbo    1/18/2007 10:07:27 AM
Navy Gets 8-Megajoule Rail Gun Working The Navy Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia has successfully demonstrated an 8-megajoule electromagnetic rail gun. A 32-megajoule version is due to be tested in June. A 64-megajoule version is anticipated to extend the range of naval gunfire (currently about 15 nautical miles for a 5-inch naval gun) to more than 200 nautical miles by 2020.
 
Quote    Reply

Show Only Poster Name and Title     Newest to Oldest
reefdiver       1/18/2007 2:10:54 PM
Its real...but I wonder what the range of the 8megajoule is? I guess one could extrapolate (not necessarily correctly...) that if its 1/8 the power of the future 64MJ, then its range might be 1/8 of 200 or about 25 nautical miles.  Still better than the current 5" guns.   Wonder how fast they can cycle the current "lab" version. I would think heat and capacitor recharge might slow the ROF.
 
Quote    Reply

Carl S       1/18/2007 3:46:48 PM
One way around capacitator recharage is to have more than one.  I use battery powered drills/saws in high power applications & we keep the extra batterys on charges continually.  On one occasion we had three chargers for one operating saw.  Applied to the rail gun its little different in the abstract to a rotary chamber or barrel gun.  
 
Quote    Reply

reefdiver       1/18/2007 3:59:50 PM
Its real...but I wonder what the range of the 8megajoule is? I guess one could extrapolate (not necessarily correctly...) that if its 1/8 the power of the future 64MJ, then its range might be 1/8 of 200 or about 25 nautical miles.  Still better than the current 5" guns.   Wonder how fast they can cycle the current "lab" version. I would think heat and capacitor recharge might slow the ROF.
 
Quote    Reply

Jeff_F_F       1/19/2007 1:40:06 AM
General Atomics announcing the contract, with some additional details. Apparently GPS guidance is an integral part of the plan. The g forces involved in firing it should make that fun.
 
And another website giving some details on what the weapon could mean for N. Korea.  It would be interesting if they could make an anti-aircraft/anti-missile version.
 
Quote    Reply

Jeff_F_F       1/19/2007 1:47:48 AM

General Atomics announcing the contract, with some additional details. Apparently GPS guidance is an integral part of the plan. The g forces involved in firing it should make that fun.

http://www.ga.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1151686612&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&;
" href_cetemp=">http://www.ga.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1151686612&archive=&start_from=&ucat=&;
">link
 

And another website giving some details on what the weapon could mean for N. Korea.  It would be interesting if they could make an anti-aircraft/anti-missile version.

http://www.defensetech.org/archives/002514.html " href_cetemp=">http://www.defensetech.org/archives/002514.html ">link
 
GA's announcement is at : >
 
The other site is : >
 
Quote    Reply

giblets       3/1/2012 10:28:55 AM
not sure if this is the usual military delay, but the 32 Megajoule rail gun has been test fired! Not quite 'June 2007'!!!
http://www.innovationnewsdaily... 
 
 
<object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-uV1SbEuzFU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-uV1SbEuzFU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></embed></object> 
 
Quote    Reply



 Latest
 News 		  Most
 Read 		  Most
 Commented		  Hot
 Topics