The U.S. Navy 'Shows-Off' Its Railgun

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Daily Mail: Radical railgun revealed: US Navy's 'Star Wars' weapon that can fire shells at mach 6 and penetrate concrete 100 MILES away shown in public for first time

* Technology fires a shell weighing 10kg at up to 5,400mph over 100 miles
* Warships can carry dozens of conventional missiles, costing around £600,000 each, but could be loaded with hundreds of railgun projectiles, at only £15,000 each
* Weapon uses speed rather than explosives to destroy its target and comes equipped with menacing Latin motto 'I, who am speed, eradicate'

More News On The U.S. Navy's Railgun

Navy Aiming To Put Railgun On Third Zumwalt Destroyer -- FOX News
3-star: 'Lot of work' before railgun arrives in fleet -- Navy Times
NAVSEA Commander: Exotic Weapons Must Be Adapted to Warship Space, Power Capacity -- Seapower
More railguns and lasers, less gunpowder -- the Navy’s future high-tech weaponry -- Network World
Navy Considering Railgun for Third Zumwalt Destroyer -- USNI News

A Railgun For The Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle?

A railgun is test-fired at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in January 2008. Photo by: John F. Williams (Wikimedia Commons)

Not Just For The Navy: Railgun Pitched For Upgrade To Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle -- Washington Times

BAE Systems wants the U.S. Army to know that there is no reason the Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun, which projects rounds at Mach 7, needs to be solely used by the U.S. Navy in the years ahead.

The defense and security company said its weapon, which has been tested at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, would be a perfect fit for the Army’s next-generation Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

Military.com reported Friday that idea for placing the Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun aboard the Army’s “Future Fighting Vehicle” came during the Association of the United States Army’s annual conference held in Washington on Oct. 13-15.

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My Comment: The trend is to miniaturize this weapon system. It may not pack the punch of a Navy rail-gun, but I suspect that it will be very capable.