Will the Navy develop a working, deployable railgun by 2020?

[jimmy olsen]

Been reading up on the Navy's railgun program, looks pretty sweet, but will they be able to do it? Yes or no?

Wikipedia has a bunch interesting links on the subject.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railgun#References

[Razgovory]

I thought those were sorta out of fashion.  Besides what does the Navy want with trains?

[jimmy olsen]

I thought those were sorta out of fashion.  Besides what does the Navy want with trains?

I'm not sure if you're trolling or not.

If not, then you should vote #3 and GTFO!

[Viking]

I think we'll have one, but I don't think it will be deployed. Why?

1) Anti-Ship. The railgun seems to be most useful at ranges greater than modern guns. Why? The guns work fine and missiles and aircraft already do the job outside gun range and over the horizon.

2) Land targets. Guns work fine and long range missiles are preferrable since they can guide themselves to the target while the railgun will blow up the kindergarten on the other side of the street it the temperature is 29,2 degC rather than 29,1 degC at 100 kilometers.

3) Anti air. Guns do the close in job fine and missiles do the ranged job fine since they can correct their path.


I think the navy will have one, but will be slightly at a loss as to what to use it for (other than bombing Puerto Rico).

[jimmy olsen]

I think we'll have one, but I don't think it will be deployed. Why?

1) Anti-Ship. The railgun seems to be most useful at ranges greater than modern guns. Why? The guns work fine and missiles and aircraft already do the job outside gun range and over the horizon.

2) Land targets. Guns work fine and long range missiles are preferrable since they can guide themselves to the target while the railgun will blow up the kindergarten on the other side of the street it the temperature is 29,2 degC rather than 29,1 degC at 100 kilometers.

3) Anti air. Guns do the close in job fine and missiles do the ranged job fine since they can correct their path.


I think the navy will have one, but will be slightly at a loss as to what to use it for (other than bombing Puerto Rico).

The big benefit is that using one is way cheaper than using a missile. Moreover, you don't have to store explosives on board.

I'm sure they're working on the accuracy part, we'll have to wait and see how successful they are.

[Viking]

The big benefit is that using one is way cheaper than using a missile. Moreover, you don't have to store explosives on board.

I'm sure they're working on the accuracy part, we'll have to wait and see how successful they are.

Yet another reason it will not be deployed. I can't imagine the Navy saving money, then handing it back.

[Caliga]

(other than bombing Puerto Rico).

[Slargos]

The development of weapons capable of defeating an alien invasion is of utmost importance.

When said invasion happens, it's far too late to cry about what we did and did not develop.

I don't foresee such capability by 2020 but any work in the same direction is beneficial to humanity as a whole.

[jimmy olsen]

The big benefit is that using one is way cheaper than using a missile. Moreover, you don't have to store explosives on board.

I'm sure they're working on the accuracy part, we'll have to wait and see how successful they are.

Yet another reason it will not be deployed. I can't imagine the Navy saving money, then handing it back.

Obviously they wouldn't hand the money back, they'd just spend it on something else.

[jimmy olsen]

The development of weapons capable of defeating an alien invasion is of utmost importance.

When said invasion happens, it's far too late to cry about what we did and did not develop.

I don't foresee such capability by 2020 but any work in the same direction is beneficial to humanity as a whole.

Wouldn't the government just panic and nuke the landing zones?

[Tonitrus]

The development of weapons capable of defeating an alien invasion is of utmost importance.

When said invasion happens, it's far too late to cry about what we did and did not develop.

I don't foresee such capability by 2020 but any work in the same direction is beneficial to humanity as a whole.

Wouldn't the government just panic and nuke the landing zones?

Gort is not amused.

[Neil]

I can't imagine why they would.

[jimmy olsen]

I can't imagine why they would.

Are you referring to the original question or the alien invasion hijack?

[Tonitrus]

I can't imagine why they would.

Are you referring to the original question or the alien invasion hijack?

Could be both.  One implies space-traveling aliens would bother/need to actually land an invasion force...the other further compounds the obsolescence of dreadnoughts, and thus a threat to his paradigm.

[Neil]

I can't imagine why they would.

Are you referring to the original question or the alien invasion hijack?

Both.