In the near future, US Navy ships won't use explosive cannons. They will destroy targets 100 miles away with the monster 33-megajoules railgun shown in this video. In the words of Rear Admiral Nevin P. Carr: This "really changes several games."
Right now, Navy railguns could only reach targets 13 miles away. The new railgun reaches any target 100 miles away in six minutes using 33-megajoules of energy, an unprecedented tactical advantage over conventional weaponry like cannons and cruise missiles. To give you an idea of the magnitude of the impact, a megajoule is "roughly equivalent to a 1-ton car traveling at 100 mph." Imagine the effect on a target.
According to the program manager at the Office of Naval Research, Roger Ellis, the gun will eventually reach enemy vehicles and structures 200 miles away with perfect accuracy, using a GPS-based targeting system. Ellis also says that "eliminating explosives from the ship, which brings significant safety benefits and logistical benefits." They just need a constant source of energy in the ship, like diesel engines or a nuclear reactor.
Yeah, not exactly effective against terrorists but...it's a freakin' railgun. It's still cool. Just need an 80-ton mech to mount her on...
EPIC WIN from a tech standpoint however.
Now where is that MAD KATZ mech?
ReplyDeleteGet Myomer tech rolling and you can make a Mech. Already quite far in neural interface tech, and tapping into the balance of the pilot is in the realm of possibility.
ReplyDeleteSaw a pictorial article a few years ago about a six legged crawling machine that could go cross country in forests to retrieve felled logs. Idea was to eliminate the damage from running all the drag lines to get the trees out. Had a cab where the operator stood iirc, but hey, it's a place to start.
And that GAUSS cannon is freakin' sweet!
PS. I'm partial to the Summoner myself...well, highly modified weapons payload, but different strokes for different folks.