Navy’s Revived Supergun Could It Replace Missiles?

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Navy’s Revived Supergun Could It Replace Missiles?

The U.S. Navy’s long‑shelved electromagnetic railgun — often called a “supergun” for its extreme range and speed — has been quietly revived after years of dormancy, and it’s now tied to major new shipbuilding and hypersonic weapon programs.

What the Navy Is Doing
The railgun, which fires conductive projectiles using electric currents instead of gunpowder, can reach speeds of Mach 6–7 and ranges over 100 nautical miles Task & Purpose. It was originally developed for the Zumwalt‑class destroyers but was paused in 2021 due to power and barrel‑life issues 19FortyFive. In February 2025, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and the White Sands Missile Range conducted a three‑day live‑fire trial to support the Joint Hypersonics Transition Office, gathering data on high‑velocity launches and hypersonic materials Interesting Engineering+1.

Plans to test the railgun at sea were never completed, but the Navy has preserved the hardware for possible future use www.twz.com. More recently, President Trump announced that the new Trump‑class “battleships” (BBG class) will each carry a 32‑megajoule railgun on their bow Task & Purpose.

Why It’s Back
The revival is linked to:

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