Futuristic US gun tested again: Faster than sound, cheaper than missiles
Electromagnetic railgun (illustrative photo: US Navy)
The United States has officially resumed development of an electromagnetic railgun, capable of launching projectiles at speeds exceeding Mach 7. Unlike conventional ammunition, the projectile requires no gunpowder — only energy, according to Interesting Engineering and Defense Romania.
The US Navy has restarted tests at the White Sands range in New Mexico. The program, officially halted in 2021 due to technical challenges, has been revived to counter emerging aerial threats.
The electromagnetic railgun uses the Lorentz force instead of chemical propellants. An electric pulse accelerates a metal projectile to extreme speeds, enabling it to destroy ships, ballistic missiles, and aircraft at ranges exceeding 100 nautical miles using kinetic energy alone.
Cost-effective and safe
The primary reason for reviving the project is the high cost of modern interceptor missiles, which run into millions of dollars per unit. In contrast, a railgun projectile is a low-cost metal component.
Another key advantage is that, unlike traditional munitions, these projectiles are completely safe to store. The new weapon type allows the Navy to:
- Increase a ship's ammunition from dozens of missiles to hundreds of projectiles
- Efficiently repel mass attacks by cheap drones or missiles that would otherwise exhaust air defenses
- Eliminate the risk of ammunition detonation in ship holds.
Technical challenges, competition
The program was previously paused due to technical issues, including rapid rail wear caused by extreme temperatures.
However, advances by competitors, particularly Japan, which has already tested a prototype aboard the JS Asuka, have pushed the Pentagon to accelerate its own development. The future of this technology in the United States is linked to a new class of surface ships, BBG(X), known as the Trump-class battleship.
These platforms, expected to cost over $20 billion, will feature powerful generators capable of producing massive electrical pulses (up to 32 megajoules) to fire the railgun.
Photo: defenseromania.ro
