What is Faster Than a Speeding Bullet, More Powerful Than a Locomotive...

[NanuqoftheNorth]

The electromagnetic “rail gun” of course!

In development for years, the weapon would be able to fire a projectile at Mach 7, or seven times the speed of sound, hitting targets 110 miles away. (By comparison, a Hellfire missile travels a little over Mach 1.)

Instead of gunpowder as a propellant, it uses electromagnetic pulses, and the projectiles hit with such overwhelming force that they don’t need to be armed with explosives. The impact from traveling at such amazing speeds is enough, thank you very much. Lasers sizzle rather than go boom, as some have said. The rail gun definitely has one heck of a boom.

The gun made its debut at the Navy’s Future Force Science and Technology Expo at the Washington Convention Center this week.

One top Navy official recently likened the impact to “a freight train going through the wall at a hundred miles an hour.” The lack of gunpowder and explosive warheads eliminates some significant safety hazards for Navy crews, officials say.

Follow the link to see the video of this thing in action...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/02/06/the-pentagons-electromagnetic-rail-gun-makes-its-public-debut/

[ecu88]

The electromagnetic “rail gun” of course!

In development for years, the weapon would be able to fire a projectile at Mach 7, or seven times the speed of sound, hitting targets 110 miles away. (By comparison, a Hellfire missile travels a little over Mach 1.)

Instead of gunpowder as a propellant, it uses electromagnetic pulses, and the projectiles hit with such overwhelming force that they don’t need to be armed with explosives. The impact from traveling at such amazing speeds is enough, thank you very much. Lasers sizzle rather than go boom, as some have said. The rail gun definitely has one heck of a boom.

The gun made its debut at the Navy’s Future Force Science and Technology Expo at the Washington Convention Center this week.

One top Navy official recently likened the impact to “a freight train going through the wall at a hundred miles an hour.” The lack of gunpowder and explosive warheads eliminates some significant safety hazards for Navy crews, officials say.

Follow the link to see the video of this thing in action...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/02/06/the-pentagons-electromagnetic-rail-gun-makes-its-public-debut/

Fugging badass, it has been in development for a long time. I remember reading about it years ago in popular science.

[Jangler]

me drinking alcohol 

[PandaPancake]

I thought this was about Cam's passing. Sorry to have wasted your time.

[Luke Cage]

Powered armor is next. Infantrymen fully integrated with powered armor and onboard AI wielding miniaturized railguns. Artillery won't be the king of battle then haha. The next paradigm shift in combat is really close. I just hope I live long enough to be able to tell future grunts "I remember when we had to hump 80-100 lb packs with our own legs.  I remember when we actually had to know about sight alignment, sight picture, and had to correct for wind with our own hands. I remember when we prayed for close air support but hoped to God it wasn't too damn close".  When the paradigm shift happens, the terrorists will be well and truly fuged.