Shock footage shows US testing futuristic railgun SUPERWEAPON

[Boats]

Shock footage shows US testing futuristic railgun SUPERWEAPON
By George Martin / Published 23rd March 2017 - US Navy test FUTURISTIC
RE: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/late...n-warfare-army

(Note: Short flic and photo's on site only - impressive)

Its navy revealed footage of the first commissioning tests of a railgun – a futuristic weapon that many people hope could shift the balance of power in naval warfare.

It is hoped the new weapon will revolutionise naval warfare, taking the focus away from using jets launched from aircraft carriers and making battleships more powerful.

The gun was developed by British weapon-makers BAE Systems, but the footage showed tests taking place at the American Naval Surface Warfare Centre in Virginia.

The railgun is designed around the principle of launching a metal projectile using a series of magnetic coils instead of gunpowder, as in traditional artillery pieces.

The project has been hampered by technological problems over the last few years as the gun has taken a lot longer to produce than originally planned.

BAE Systems tested a 32-joule half-power prototype of the weapon at the test centre in 2013.

The full-power system was then planned to be completed by mid-2016, but it has taken a year longer to get it fully operational.

The news comes as the US Army announced it would be producing another super high-tech weapon.

The Army recently developed a super-strength laser capable of taking down targets from miles away.