A long-range naval railgun

TLDR

The U.S. Navy is exploring an electromagnetic railgun capable of 300‑500 km shore bombardment at up to 12 rounds per minute to support ground forces. The study aims to define a notional railgun that meets those operational goals while identifying key technology challenges for future destroyers.

Abstract

The U.S. Navy is considering developing an electromagnetic railgun for use on future ships for long-range shore bombardment missions. The goals are to provide support for ground forces in a timely fashion, increase the ship-to-shore standoff distance, and improve ship survivability in combat situations. This paper describes the parameters of a notional railgun design that may be capable of supporting the Navy's needs. The Naval Surface Fire Support mission requires a railgun capable of firing high-energy projectiles for ranges of 300-500 km with a firing rate of up to 12 rounds per minute. The notional system described here is intended to meet these requirements while providing the ability to take advantage of the integrated electric drive architecture to be used on the next generation destroyer. Several important technology issues will need to be addressed before the feasibility of such a system can be demonstrated. These issues are identified and discussed.