In the near future, US Navy ships will not use explosive cannons. They will destroy targets 100 miles away with the monster 33-megajoules railgun in the video. In the words of Rear Admiral Nevin P. Carr: This “really changes several games.”Right now, Navy railguns could only reach targets 13 miles away. The new railgun reaches any target 100 miles away in six minutes using 33-megajoules of energy, an unprecedented tactical advantage over conventional weaponry like cannons and cruise missiles. To give you an idea of the magnitude of the impact, a megajoule is “roughly equivalent to a 1-ton car traveling at 100 mph.” Imagine the effect on a target.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=117135