Comments on: Navy Railgun Goes For Record (Updated)

By: Col. Klink

Col. Klink — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 02:02:43 +0000

We have nukes, so who needs a gun? With guns we keep losing kids that are required to take the hill over and over again. Remove the hill.

By: A. Scott Crawford

A. Scott Crawford — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 06:17:54 +0000

The claim is that the delivered rail gun system can operate at 32 MJ. The Navy wants a system that works at 64 MJ. There must be some expectation that the system delivered will fire more than 30–100 times (see the IEEE papers for the published research), as otherwise it’d be pretty useless as other than a fancy anti-satellite battery.
In truth, it’s hard to see why the Navy’s sticking it’s neck out to demonstrate a system like this for public consumption before they know if they got what they paid for. Maybe it’s just a political gimmick to remind the Russians how expensive SDI programs are?

By: Jack D. Ripper

Jack D. Ripper — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:50:41 +0000

Clean up on aisle Roguelement. Seems that he/she/it lost control of his bowels.

By: Jack D. Ripper

Jack D. Ripper — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:49:41 +0000

Clean up on aisle Roguelement. Seems that he/she/it lost control of his bowels.

By: DC2 Jennings

DC2 Jennings — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:32:26 +0000

GM1,
I agree with you completely. The only issue with the rail gun would be energy stored in capacitors. If those things went off, it would be just like a high explosive going off. Of course, these could be placed in away from the gun and in a more safe location.
DC2

By: Blake

Blake — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 19:21:26 +0000

Fortunately, military tech programs have better track records than most social programs, govt. depts, and higher education systems, failures that continue to this day that really are a waste of taxpayer money. Military Technology has contributed more to society, and it is measurable. Unlike say, social sciences! Every once in awhile an example pops up in these discussions.
The government could get additional funding for programs like this and other infrastructure (planes, VA, and pay raises) necessities by shifting funding away from said programs and begin to reward success again.
Now, testing?
Since the pacific was used disproportionately after WWII, it would be fair to focus on islands in Gulf of Mexico?

By: GM1

GM1 — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:35:08 +0000

Seems to me that everybody here is kiinda tied up in the “here and now”. This weapon could be the future weapons deployed on ships, thats why it is under development. As for the electro-magnetic pulse of the weapon, yes it does create one, yes it is controlled, and no it wont interupt any other shipboard equipment, as stated in the article the system is already in use around the world to launch roller coaster trains, sure a plane weighs a bit more but the science is the same. The rail gun will be a much safer alternative for people like me, n more explosives to handle and less risk of a accidental cook off on board the ship due to high heat. I think people need to open their minds to the future, it wasnt long ago that precision guided bombs and missles were considered impossible. Oh and a side note almost ALL large shipboard weapons are controlled by radar, sonar, or some other electronic fire control system, grid plotting and all that is “ancient” technology.

By: Roguelement

Roguelement — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:06:54 +0000

Dear Mil type idiots of limited brain energy if you were to take one millionth of the energy required to power the rail gun and connect it in parallel directly to the other idiots sitting in that pentaGONE maybe one of them might just might have an idea that would render your Rail Gun a Stale gun come to the Butt ignorant conclusion that if these Briliant WAR Toys Boys can figure out new and exiting ways to STEAL the general publics Tax Cash One would only guess there natural progression would be to some how control the CASH or track it from A to B so the idea of purchasing large ammounts of say WMD would be academic because once any ammount of cash was wired to an account bell's would sound let's get honest people it's not like bank's aren't all wired up so the very second a truck load of capital moves from point to point anyone of the 2 million or so Law enforcement agencys Clown's could be johnny on the spot. Didn't any of you idiots play with models or was it all cowboys and indians for you ? Hey did you find them thar WMD yet ? Oh and by the by how is that DU you have running rampant thru your body coming along ? Now please make sure you all have a NICE HALF/LIFE ! GET IT just think long after your gone you'll still be glowing in the dark.

By: Darin

Darin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:38:56 +0000

Anything is worth a try. If we don’t do it then someone else will.

By: C

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:09:53 +0000

video up at Danger Room and YouTube:
http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/01/video-rail-guns.html