The prospect of the deployment of the US Navy to the actual deployment of future weapons such as laser cannons and rail guns

Although it is a scene common in science fiction movies that is an incandescent battle in outer space using a laser beam,Laser cannonIt is reported that it is a plan to deploy actual war. In addition, the US Navy, as well as laser cannonRail gunIt is almost completed stage.

AP News: US Navy ready to deploy laser for 1st time
http://www.apnews.com/ap/db_15897/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=SgFdoPRA

"The laser cannon (which we have been researching for many years by the US NavyRay gun) "Is thought to be effective as an unmanned reconnaissance aircraft flying in the air or a weapon to intercept a speed boat that runs over the sea, but it seems that development is approaching practical stage at last.AP newsTells us that the US Navy plans to deploy a laser cannon to destroyers in the second half of 2014.

Colonel Mike Jibe, a program manager for the US Navy 's Energy and Electronic Weapons System Division, says that the battle method will change fundamentally by introducing a laser cannon. According to Col. Jibe, the US Navy's laser cannon has been developed to the level where it is possible to operate even one single marine to attack the enemy, preparing to deploy and deploy to the maritime base of Persian Gulf / Ponce It is said that it is in order.

ByLos Alamos National Laboratory

It is almost like a movie Star Wars, a laser weapon of a future weapon, but unlike SF movies, the laser beam itself seems to be invisible to human eyes. "You can not see the laser beam with your eyes, but the enormous damage of the target that received the laser cannon will be visible," Col. Jibe said.

In addition, the US Navy is also developing "rail gun" besides laser cannon, and this also means that development is going well. The US Army Railgun successfully launched bullets at speeds of 6 to 7 times the speed of sound in a continental experiment conducted in Virginia. The US Navy is scheduling experiments on board on the ship within two years with the purpose of replacing the railgun with a conventional long range gun.

ByRGJohn

It is a very excellent laser cannon as a weapon because it gives a big damage to the enemy, it is unnecessary to replace bullets and continuous radiation is possible, but it has big drawbacks. Laser cannon is vulnerable to rain, dust, atmospheric disturbance, and in such circumstances the power will weaken. Lawrence Thompson, a military expert at the Lexington Laboratories, said, "Although the US Navy has developed a method to use a laser cannon even in bad weather, the duration of laser cannon shorter due to dust and rain is There is no doubt. "

On the other hand, rail gun requires a large amount of electric energy to fire, and how to create this energy on the sea is a big issue. However, the US Navy hasStealthinessA new destroyer with 'ZumwaltIs equipped with a gas turbine for power generation and can produce up to 78 megawatts of electricity at sea, so it is possible to fire a rail gun sufficiently.


Although it is a laser gun and a rail gun that each have a problem to be solved, both weapons have an attack power capable of giving large damage to enemies and are surely a very excellent weapon, there is no mistake. Furthermore, it is estimated that the cost per shot will be much cheaper than conventional weapons, so it seems that the US Navy can put effort into development without difficulty.

· Continued
The US Navy has released a laser gun launch experiment of 100 yen per shot, and it can handle powerful destructive power with a sense of feeling as well - GIGAZINE


The US Navy opens the railgun that can shoot the shell at 200 km ahead of the sound speed to the public - GIGAZINE