US Navy demonstrates long-range land attack projectile capability*

The US Navy's Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) has successfully completed series of guided flight tests of 155mm long-range land attack projectile (LRLAP).
During the tests, conducted as part of land-based flight qualification during the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase, the guided projectile has undergone nine launches and successfully hit targets, placed approximately 45nm from the launch site.

The demonstration validated the projectile's gun launch, rocket motor ignition, guidance acquisition, navigation to target and warhead detonation.

PEO IWS Navy Surface Ship Weapons major programme manager captain Mike Ladner said that the team has completed live fire test and evaluation (LFTE) data collection, marking a step ahead in completing the development programme.

The trials have also addressed several significant objectives including requirements of the LFTE, a coordinated test programme between the Zumwalt-class destroyer and the Surface Ship Weapons Program Offices with the Office of Secretary of Defense oversight to assess the lethality of the system.

"Additionally, flying the tactical software was a major step in reducing the remaining technical risk in the programme," Ladner added.

Additionally, the projectile demonstrated its tactical software including multiple round simultaneous impact (MRSI) capability, which enables the ship to fire several rounds and adjusts the projectile trajectory to synchronise time of arrival at the targets.

The testing also assessed the potency of the round to lifecycle stresses and stimuli such as temperature, vibration and humidity.

The LRLAP rocket-assisted guided projectile will support land-attack operations onboard the US Navy's DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers.

* Notícia publicada a Naval Technology. Sembla que la munició LRLAP funciona, tot i que caldria preguntar-se si calia un projecte tant gran com els Zumwalt per implementar-la.

U.S. Navy to test 32 megajoule EM Railgun in the coming weeks*

The United States Navy will receive the industries first 32 megajoule EM Railgun prototype and begin testing in the coming weeks.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced today that they will begin testing an advanced Electromagnetic Railgun (EMR) within the next few weeks. The development and testing of this advanced EMR is the result of a $21 million contract awarded to BAE Systems by the Office of Naval Research roughly two years ago. For those that may not know, the ONR is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that facilitates all science and technology programs for the U.S Navy and Marine Corps through various institutions, such as universities and government laboratories.

While most munitions both heavy and small depend on chemical propellants (like gunpowder), the EM Railgun launcher (as you may have guessed from its name) utilizes magnetic energy instead. The EM Railgun propels a conductive projectile along metal rails using a magnetic field powered by electricity. The magnetic field produced by the high electric currents thrusts a sliding metal conductor between two rails to launch a projectile at velocities of 4,500 to 5,600 mph. By contrast, the average velocity of a chemical propelled weapon is limited to about 2,700 give or take.

So what does that mean? Well, this increased velocity should allow for the Navy to reach targets of up to 50 to 100 nautical miles away or, if you’re inner sea-dog is a little rusty, about 57 to 115 miles out. Navy planners hope to eventually increase that range even further to distances up to 220 nautical miles (253 miles).

According to ONR, this increase velocity and extended range will give sailors multi-mission capability, and allow them to conduct precise naval surface fire support. In addition, ONR states that the EM Railgun may provide effective ballistic missile defense.

BAE Systems EM Railgun was delivered to the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren on January 30, 2012 and features a 32-megajoule payload. To add some perspective, one megajoule of energy is equivalent to a one ton car traveling at 100 miles per hour.

* Notíca publicada al Digital Trends. És de gran interés seguir l'evolució dels Railguns, unes armes que, se'ns dubte poden revolucionar el camp de batalla modern, especialment el naval.