Yeah, saw it on CBS news overnight. Also have been following it for years.
The sad thing is that Frank wrote somewhere (maybe in FF&S) that it
wouldn't have a signature, no muzzle flash. I thought he was stepping out
on a limb, but had no counter-evidence 22 years ago. You saw that torrent
of muzzle flash, didn't you? Vaporized metal from the sabot in the midst
of all that Mach 7 air friction, I guess.
> 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.
The sad thing is that Frank wrote somewhere (maybe in FF&S) that it
wouldn't have a signature, no muzzle flash. I thought he was stepping out
on a limb, but had no counter-evidence 22 years ago. You saw that torrent
of muzzle flash, didn't you? Vaporized metal from the sabot in the midst
of all that Mach 7 air friction, I guess.
> 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.