Railguns: The Navy's 'Ultimate Superweapon'

Here's another video on YouTube. This one actually already set a WORLD RECORD.

Electromagnetic Railgun World Record Shot on December 10, 2010

BAE Systems, along with partners IAP Research and SAIC, participated in a record-setting shot measuring 33-megajoules (MJ) of muzzle energy set by the Office of Naval Research's (ONR) experimental Electromagnetic Railgun launcher on December 10, 2010. The shot broke ONR's previously held world record of 10.64MJ of muzzle energy achieved in Jan. 2008. 
A MJ is a measurement of energy associated with a mass traveling at a certain velocity. For example, a one-ton vehicle moving at 100 mph equals a MJ of energy.
The experimental Electromagnetic Railgun launcher used for the demonstration was developed through a team led by BAE Systems, after which BAE Systems showcased their advanced composite prototype railgun to Navy leaders.
BAE Systems received a $21 million contract from ONR in February 2009 to design and develop an advanced containment railgun prototype.

Wish they'd put those efforts into a slug of health, decency, human caring, peace, humanity and dignity to be fired to an altitude where it would spread out all over the globe...

I know I fell in love with the idea of rail-guns playing "Rifts", back in the 90s when I kicked ass with my Glitter Boy and it's awesome and famous rail-gun aka "Boom Gun"

Eh, would probably hit some endangered bird and then the environmentalist would be all pissed.  Other countries would see it as another attempt by America to push it's values and "Americanize" other nations cultures.  

I'm with Doc, as the supposedly intelligent species on Earth we need to reset our priorities.  Just my thoughts.

My thoughts too.

As if our naval superiority wasn't superior enough. I bet we could fit a few hundred of those on a battleship. Wonder what their bombardment capacity is for land targets. Hope they have a few prototypes ready for our upcoming incursions. 

If those were our priorities, we wouldn't have evolved into humans, we would be some other animals food source.  It would be nice if we could afford to prioritize anything other than the killing of other people.  But what would happen if the good people of the world put down their weapons and chose to never use them again?  They would become slaves.  Speak softly and carry a big stick, I say.

Damn peacemongering hippies!!! Get off my Military Industrial Complex!!! Shoo....git...go on...scat!! lol J/K

I take exception to the 'peacemongering hippies' label as I'm 63 and 30 of those years were spent in the Military and DoD, most of that time I could have indeed been a hippie but choose a different fork in the road. 

I think my thoughts or opinions are based upon a whole lot of experience, most of which I can't pass on to folks because I would have to............well you know. 

Don't go kickin the bucket on us, Phill. We'll be needing your sage experience when the dumb-shit politicians decide who they want to start shooting these at.

Note: I'd also have to say when it comes to a lot of my values I'm a hippy as well.

I just think humanity skipped the first few levels of the Kosatura unlock tree.

edit: Changed "Novaliath" to "Kosatura".

Doc, if we build enough of these railguns we can reduce the population leaving more health care for the rest of us.  Brilliant!

Here's the problem with "If we would just give peace a chance"...we aren't dealing with "we"...we're dealing with "them" and "us". 

If you want a demonstration of what I mean, go to a big city with crime and gange problems and find the worst set of projects there.  Go hang out for a week, show your money, dress nicely and "be nice and peaceful to everyone".  50-50 if you make it out without hospitalization.

If "we" drop our guns, it has to be "all".  Pre-WWII, over 70% of the U.S. was against entry into the war and pacifism was an emerging trend in society--even getting political candidates elected.  During the Cold War, every "first step" cut to appease the Soviets resulted in their abusing treaties even further and demanding more.

It comes down to this--when the whole planet abhors violence and is repulsed by it like they are by a rotting corpse in their bed, then peace has a chance.  I'm sorry, it's not going to happen.

Pursuing peace as a nation is admirable and to be desired--trying to do it with no means of defense is insane.

Lol--the motto at the beginning of the video is Latin for, "Speed Kills".

War is big part of the human condition at this stage in our evolution. The human condition has not reached a stage of being where killing each other is against our nature. As much as I would like that to be the case, I will take the railguns on my next tour just in case.

Can these be fired underwater? I am so tired of torpedoes and depth charges.

I'd say "It's impressive.", except that it'll be used to kill people (it'll probably kill some birds going through the air, as well). Not only that, noiselessly and without greenhouse gasses. Great.

I noticed one thing, RavenX - those of us who have served in the armed forces and fought in a war aren't enthused about it. That could be because we're older, though.

Unfortunately, that doesn't correlate with history... wars cause population growth.

Sinperium, tell ya what. I'll compromise: Make it 50-50. For every dollar put into every weapons system, an equal amount goes into all those things on my list in comment #2.

And, if you've served or fought in a war, I'll bet you agree.

No I doubt it regardless of speed. Water resistance will still stop it.

I'm all for cutting ridiculous spending on the military and ridiculously non-existent spending on humanitarian issues.  I am aa veteran of the US navy and air force.  Loved my job, proud of my units, awed by their combat capability and never wanted to imagine any of the ones I served with having to pull the trigger on people.

I'm also a student of history though and I can tell you what happens to polite, unarmed, egalitarian societies.  They get sacked, looted and pillaged.

Hey--regarding torpedoes, the Russians came up with a concept the US has finally figured out and we are close to being able to make hypersonic or at least supersonic torpedoes in the very near future now.

"Good people"? The same good people that uses secrect agencies to promote their own agendas? Or starts wars? *insert long etc* Sorry but there is no good people in this planet. Maybe there are some good bunnies in the moon...

     Unfortunately the technology behind the rail gun had its roots in Nasa and they did toy with the idea of launching material to space. Uncle Sam though decided it would make a good weapon too. Hence the Rail Gun for the US Navy. It can hit a target 100 nautical miles distant almost faster than they can blink an eye. Far beyond the ability of every other navy on the planet. Won't be long before others latch onto it. Either Russia or China will get it next then the others will follow. The arms race hasn't stopped. There's just more players.

     To be honest though I like Docs idea because it could solve so many of the worlds ills. Reduce the number of people lost to disease, malnutrition, abuse and so forth. It has the potential but, like the rail gun Uncle Sam has his fingers in that one too. They're called bio-weapons and the military has the means to deliver them precisely on target. But then again so do a few others. Ad infinitum.

Indeed my friend, you're very right. I'd say it's safe to say that for the majority of people who have actually experienced the horrors of war, or any kind of tramatic violence, they'd rather not do so again. While it's in our human nature to want to kill and destroy, most people decidely go against it when they see the death and destruction first hand or lose a loved one to it.

Heard they were going to be rocket powered. 50-50 there too.

And if you love death and violence you quickly learn to shut the hell up about it. I met a few of those in my days. Hard to pick out from the rest of the pack until you give them any sort of power.

Yes--will have to be--though there is a future possibility of electromagnetically powered water induction engines.  The big breakthrough is they now know how to "sheath" the torpedo so water moves out of the way without creating substantial friction.

In my experience, most people that sign up in a peacetime military never want to see actual warfare.  There is nothing exciting about cleaning the blood off the bulkheads inside your ship and looking for the head of a decapitated sailor.

Watch the movie ending of Farscape--it's going to take that for everyone to really give peace a try.

There's nothing worse than 'gange problems', I always say .... JAFOCHECK ....;p

Well Raven, here is one weapon you won't be playing with,  'US Mothballs Airborne Laser Missile Defense Weapon'.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/us-mothballs-airborne-laser-missile-defense-weapon-15823642