Interesting developments in the US Navy

This week has seen two major advances in the US Navy's development programs. First, the Electromagnetic Railgun has been tested at 33 megajoules of power, about half of its proposed ultimate power level of 64 megajoules. Even at this lower level of power, it offers excellent performance.

Rear Adm. Nevin Carr, chief of naval research, said that "the 33-megajoule shot means the Navy can fire projectiles at least 110 nautical miles, placing sailors and Marines at a safe standoff distance and out of harm's way." High velocities also make the system tactically relevant for air and missile defenses, Carr said.

View of projectile emerging from electromagnetic cannon

When the full power of 64 megajoules is available, the railgun's range should be extended to over 200 nautical miles, and the projectile will reach a velocity of about Mach 7. Here's a video clip of this week's successful test firing.

This 2007 video clip of an earlier railgun model gives more background information.

The other good news for the Navy was that its trial installation of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). is ready to test-launch an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, probably before Christmas. EMALS is intended to replace conventional steam-powered catapults aboard the new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, the first of which is currently under construction.

Artist's impression of Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier (image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Defense News reports:

[EMALS] is a critical piece of technology that will be installed in the new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, the first of which is now under construction. If the system isn't ready in time, the Navy would have to revert to older steam catapults to launch aircraft from the ships, a move that would mean costly delays and redesigns.




. . .

The launch will take place at NAVAIR's facility at the Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J., where the service and prime contractor General Atomics have built a full-scale test site replicating a shipboard installation, including major software and hardware components.

The development team began shooting test "dead-loads" from the system in the spring, Koon said. Since then, 722 dead-load launches have been made at speeds of up to 180 knots, the highest end-speed requirement for the system. The launch tests are part of the program's system functional demonstration phase.

If the Super Hornet launch is successful, other types of carrier aircraft will be tested next year, including C-2 carrier-on-board-delivery planes and T-45 Goshawk jet trainers.

There's more at the link.

The interesting thing about both of these developments, of course, is that they're both electrically powered. If they enter service with the USN, that's going to mean a much higher power generation requirement for the ships equipped with them. A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier shouldn't have too much trouble with that, of course, but a conventional steam- or diesel- or gas-turbine-powered warship might not have sufficient generating capacity to be able to power a railgun. There's also the impending advent of directed-energy weapons, which are expected to be fielded within the next decade. They'll add to the requirement for electricity.

I'm guessing we'll see a significant change in shipboard power and propulsion systems over the next decade or two. It may be that nuclear power plants will become ubiquitous aboard the vessels of major navies, as they might be the only option offering sufficient (and sufficiently economical) power generation potential.

Peter