U.S Defense Corp Completes Guided Railgun Projectile Testing

U.S Defense Corp Completes Guided Railgun Projectile Testing

Railgun Weapon System. Image: General Atomics

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As the world’s great powers compete for superior technology, hypersonic weapons are becoming the next thing: faster, more accurate, and more powerful.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) recently announced that their hypersonic projectiles have been successfully tested during multiple firings from the organization’s railgun system. The test was conducted with a 32 megajoule railgun and a 120 mm powder gun firing identical projectiles to demonstrate their abilities to fly at hypersonic speeds.

At hypersonic speeds, the gun-hardened guidance electronics were put to the test to determine if they could maintain data links and control trajectory even at intense G-forces. Its railgun systems feature electromagnetic launchers that use electricity instead of chemical propellants to fire projectiles at high speeds, according to thedefensepost.com.  

Tests were conducted on prototypes, which established two-way data communication between in-flight projectiles and a ground station, promoting the technology in question one step closer to maximum precision capabilities and effective aerial targeting.