$500 million and 15 years later, why did the Navy cancel this supersonic gun?

Electromagnetic guns are a futuristic application of technologies that have been around for a long time. Basically: “to use electricity to throw something very far and very fast.” How far and how fast this technology makes science fiction come to life. Read on and we’ll also explain why the US Navy abandoned the project, but another country may revive it. If you’re a tech investor, this is something you might want to keep an eye on.

24/7 Wall St. Perspectives

• Railguns use inert slugs, making them a safer weapon to carry, but they fire them at such velocities that they do as much damage as some explosive rockets.
• The US Navy’s decision to abandon the project still leaves valuable technology on the table for defense contractors to build upon.
• Also: Discover the “Next NVIDIA

How does it work?

Electricity is the power source for rail guns like this one.

A rail gun is powered by electricity flowing between two rails that act as parallel conductors. This accelerates a sliding armature to propel a non-explosive metal slug to supersonic speeds – think Mach 8.8 (6,752 mph). Even though the projectile is just an inert piece of metal, at that speed it impacts so powerfully that its kinetic energy creates a devastating explosion, greater than conventionally launched explosives of the same mass.

Railguns as weapons

This is a test firing of a prototype US Navy rail gun, illustrating the extreme heat generated by the supersonic projectile as it leaves the barrel.

The most obvious application for this technology is as a weapon. The Navy was particularly interested in rail guns because their non-explosive projectiles were safer to store on ships; it runs on electricity that is readily available from nuclear reactors on large seagoing ships; and have greater range and explosive power than existing naval guns.

Railguns for missile launches

Railguns could shoot payloads into orbit, but the speed would be higher than human astronauts could tolerate.

Researchers have theorized that rail guns could be used to help launch missiles. Firing payloads into orbit with a large rail gun could reduce the cost per pound by 90%. However, the G-forces would be so extreme that this technology would likely only be used for launching very durable payloads such as food, water, building materials or fuel.

American Railgun Research

A prototype rail gun on the deck of an American warship.

The United States Ballistic Research Laboratory began studying and testing railguns in 1980. This was an international effort, based on earlier Australian research and carried out in cooperation with the United Kingdom beginning in 1993. By 2010, the US Navy developed a compact rail gun. which could be placed on ships. The project’s Latin motto, “Velocitas Eradico” stands for “Speed ​​Kills”. The US Army was simultaneously researching its own land-based version of the rail gun.

Why did the army cancel the project?

The cost and continued technological deficiencies of the railguns led the military to cancel research on the program.

The main problem with railgun technology is that materials science is not yet advanced enough to create components that won’t bend or melt under the extreme friction, heat, and pressure that happens every time the gun is fired. This also creates a hazard to military personnel near the gun when it is fired and a heat signature that enemies can detect and use to target the ship. For these reasons and more, both the Army and Navy stopped funding the project in 2021; in the Navy’s case, after spending 15 years and about $500 million on gun research.

What’s next for Railguns?

Japan is interested in rail guns to defend against the missile technology of hostile neighbors.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense has expressed interest in working with US defense contractors to help carry out its own railgun research. Japan Steel Works is the main contractor working on that project. The Ministry of Defense has encouraged the company to explore bringing on board major US gunnery contractors BAE Systems and General Atomics. One of the reasons the Japanese are interested in this technology is as a possible defense against hypersonic missiles launched by China and Russia.

So it seems we keep finding more uses for a working rail gun, but no one has yet managed to produce a commercially viable one. The company or companies that do will find a ready market worldwide.

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