Table of Contents
Will Railguns bring back battleships?
Rail guns may bring back heavy cruisers but not battleships. It’s simply not cost effective to built larger surface warships because as they become larger, they become more vulnerable.
Are battleships still relevant?
Even in spite of their huge firepower and protection, battleships were increasingly vulnerable to much smaller and relatively inexpensive weapons: initially the torpedo and the naval mine, and later aircraft and the guided missile. Many World War II-era battleships remain in use today as museum ships.
Should the Navy build a ship-hitting guided round for the railgun?
If the Navy can build a ship-hitting guided round for the railgun, one that can detect enemy ships and steer itself into the ship’s path, that could overcome the weapon’s issues hitting distant moving targets. A SM-2 air defense missile launching from a Mk. 41 vertical launch system silo. U.S. Navy photo.
Can a railgun hit a ship at Mach 6?
The second problem is that, even at Mach 6, it might be difficult for railgun rounds to hit a moving ship. Let’s say that a railgun-equipped ship is firing on an enemy ship at maximum range—111 miles. The railgun projectile travels at 1.26 miles per second, so it will reach its target in 88 seconds.
The Navy hopes to install a railgun in place of the one of the main guns of the third Zumwalt, USS Lyndon B. Johnson. The railgun prototype was scheduled to be tested aboard the USNS Trenton right around now, but there hasn’t been any news on the tests.
How many guns does the USS Zumwalt have?
The knifelike ship, armed with two 155-millimeter guns and 80 vertical launch silos, has no shortage of firepower. The Navy hopes to install a railgun in place of the one of the main guns of the third Zumwalt, USS Lyndon B. Johnson.