US could get 32-megajoule railgun that kills missile at 6 times the speed of sound

[rangerrebew]

US could get 32-megajoule railgun that kills missile at 6 times the speed of sound
 
Defense contractor General Atomics is reviving its electromagnetic railgun technology as part of a renewed US effort to build a nationwide air and missile defense system, including reinforced defenses for Guam, according to company officials.

The California-based firm showcased railgun graphics at its booth during the recent Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting in Washington, DC Mike Rucker, head of weapons programs at General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), told Naval News that the company has pitched its long-dormant railgun system for the Pentagon’s “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative.
 
“Just the idea of the muzzle velocity and standoff capability, particularly from our perspective, from a terminal defense for air and missile defense, makes it ideal,” Rucker said, describing the system’s use of tungsten pellets as a potential warhead.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us-could-get-32-megajoule-railgun-that-kills-missile-at-6-times-the-speed-of-sound/ar-AA1Pq6Uj?ocid=widgetonlockscreen&cvid=690365e7be904825bd2f46f7b70a00be&ei=26

[DefiantMassRINO]

Where the hell does one get 32-megajoules maneuvering ever-changing lines of battle?

[Smokin Joe]

Hypersonic shotgun!

I foresee problems with excessive dispersion of the payload.

[Timber Rattler]

Already tried, tested, and discarded by the Navy due to technological constraints concerning power usage and excessive barrel wear.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/07/02/navy-finally-pulls-plug-railgun.html

https://www.twz.com/43661/congress-wants-answers-about-the-railgun-it-just-funded-even-though-the-navy-no-longer-wants-it

[Smokin Joe]

Already tried, tested, and discarded by the Navy due to technological constraints concerning power usage and excessive barrel wear.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/07/02/navy-finally-pulls-plug-railgun.html

https://www.twz.com/43661/congress-wants-answers-about-the-railgun-it-just-funded-even-though-the-navy-no-longer-wants-it

I think the $750,000.00 per round had something to do with the decision to not use the weapon, too.

The Zumwalt class ships had the power problem solved (they were designed for the rail gun), and while the Navy did not completely ditch the concept, they did put it on hold. Ammo costs were a deal breaker.

As for the 'shotgun' approach, smaller, lighter, projectiles could mean lesser power demands, and shot cups could reduce bore wear. I'm sure someone would find a way to make the ammo prohibitively expensive.

All of this ignores the advantages of a kinetic kill, not requiring magazines full of explosive materials or chemical propellants, which have spelled the doom of many surface vessels.