Railgun Being Proposed For Future Army Vehicles

What will the fighting vehicles of the future look like? Lasers — lots of lasers. Well, if BAE Systems has anything to say about it, we'll have lasers everywhere. We've already heard of Navy trials for testing railguns, and now BAE wants to implement them onto future Army vehicles as well. At a conference last week, BAE proposed a host of options to Army brass regarding weaponizing the combat vehicles of the future. A railgun may suit their needs, and let's face it — it's the coolest option around.

A railgun works by using stored energy in a vehicle or craft to generate a high-speed electromagnetic pulse that is capable of launching a projectile, like a missile.

A video below shows the Naval railgun currently in testing. Those mounted on an Army vehicle would have to be scaled down, but BAE is reportedly confident that's a possibility.

A railgun like that shown in the video can strike at a target over 100 miles away, and pierce six metal plates. The round used in the gun has common guidance, but could be fitted with self-guiding features in the future.

Railguns aren't set to show up on a Navy ship for about two years, and their placement on an actual combat-ready vessel won't happen for about five more years. The Army has no timeline for upgrading their current fleet, or implementing future fighting vehicles.

Source: Defense Tech