Public To Get First Look at Railgun

The Navy will publicly unveil its latest weapon – the Electromagnetic Railgun – at an exposition, early next month. The new weapon system uses electricity to propel projectiles toward their targets, instead of chemicals. By creating magnetic fields with high electrical currents, the Railgun can deliver payloads at distances greater than 100 nautical miles at velocities exceeding six times the speed of sound. The system is slated to undergo sea testing sometime next year. The public display will take place Feb. 405 at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology Expo in Washington, D.C., the Office of Naval Research stated.