US Testing Its Monstrously Powerful $500 Million Rail Gun

Welcome back to the Fluctus Channel as we have a look at the powerful engineering behind the advanced weaponry system adapted by the US Navy.

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[thumper]

This is what they show you, imagine what they don't.

[EdTheDragonSlayer]

It's appreciative to think that man still mostly resort to throwing rocks at each other, but just faster.

[sodiumfluoridel]

The fact that these projectiles are moving fast enough to create explosions on impact despite not having a single ounce of explosives is absolutely mind baffling

for the people in the comments : i agree this is a terrible waste of money considering the other things it could go to. However, the physics involved are no less awesome and beautiful

[RyanLeCocq]

“Sir, what do we need this for?”
“We stopped asking that question in the 70s son. Just admire the majesty.”

[BeachriderUSA]

This gun didn’t cost that much. The multi year projects, with several testing platforms, did.

[christimko]

I live 10 miles down river from this place…. Been testing for over 25 years…. My house rattles twice when it’s fired… first report comes from projectile breaking sound barrier near my house.. 2 nd report comes seconds later from sound of rail gun firing….

[isoid]

the fact that the 1/8th power railgun was still violent enough to literally vaporize the interior of the barrel is incredible

[thisguy]

Never thought I'd see a man loading a railgun by hand while wearing a wristwatch.

[Dziricani]

Most impressive to me is how that high-speed camera tracked perfectly and horizontally a projectile travelling at 8270 f/s (that's a whopping 5638.6 mph or 9074.5 km/h!)

[cendimix.]

war can really be summed up as "who can throw the biggest rock", we went from rocks to spears, to arrows, to guns, to artillery.

[Dr_Mario]

The sonic boom of the projectile at 0:55 is insanely tight, it's stupid fast. Anything that moves faster than five times the speed of sound (basically at hypersonic speed) is devastating enough to basically render the usual explosives irrelevant at that speed.

[GhostVvar]

Honestly I hope they continue research and development on the railgun. IMO you can always counter a smart weapon system with a smarter countermeasure, but you can't outsmart a solid slug of metal traveling at supersonic speeds.

Missiles can be countered with early detection and lasers or another projectile to disarm or pre-detonate. Lasers can be countered with weather or distance. Drones can be simply shot down or EMPs. Whats gonna stop a metal slug from flying at you other than adding more armor?

[ThatsMrPencilneckU]

Rail guns would be excellent weapons for modern warships with massive power plants, except for the fact their rails burn up faster than a sailor can find a red light district.

[ghand]

I remember reading about CiWS when it was being tested back in the 80's. Placed on a barge, a destroyer fired a 5" shell along the length of the barge. CiWS engaged the shell, then it's fragments

[SamLingo-hsbc]

As an american taxpayer, I approve this use of my money

[Nothing-zwyd]

If this is what they're presenting, what they really have now is far more advanced. I remember reading an article in Popular Mechanics in the 80's about rail guns, and it was much the same then as they're showing now. There is no way it hasn't advanced far beyond that.

[chronus]

The US Navy declined to continue funding this project, they gave it 10million in 2022 which is barely 'station keeping' level of funding.

[PUNKMYVIDEO]

A must have for collectors of all ages.

[cleverusername]

If you've never heard a Phalanx CIWS in action, videos do not do it justice, those things are ludicrously intense

[Dobermanator]

A good amount of the weaponry here goes back a few Wars though I'm not certain how complete or accurate this is. Like with the Phalanx, is that not the last line of defence, is there not other missiles used to take out an incoming missile?