Railguns: the next generation of weapons.

 Railguns: the next generation of weapons. 

Japan made its first railgun test at sea. 

Things like drone swarms require new types of AA systems. Those systems must shoot down high-flying multiple targets with low-cost ammunition. Railguns are weapons that shoot projectiles in the speed of Mach 3 or higher speeds. The famous GAU-8 "Avenger" cannon's ammunition hits the target with a speed of Mach 1,5. And that weapon destroys any tank. 

The improved laser-based anti-missile systems can also destroy missiles that attack the ships. And also modern tanks have active defense systems that can destroy the incoming rocket projectiles. The railgun ammunition is small and it's hard to destroy. 

The railgun gives warships and other military vehicles the ability to shoot air-ground and sea targets with the same weapon. The rate of fire of the railgun can be very high. Chinese navy tested a hypersonic railgun with a very high rate of fire. These kinds of weapons are tools that can shoot down even satellites. The hypersonic machine cannon or "super GAU-8 can sweep bunkers and defenders from the beach. 

In the case. Where the railgun has a very high rate of fire the air cone behind the ammunition might not have time to close. And that means the ammunition travels in an air tube. And they can be deadly surprises for high-flying aircraft or even satellites. 

The laser-booster 

There is a vision that the railguns will hybridize with the laser systems that can push ammunition to space. The laser rays can be used to push the projectile forward after they are left from the railgun. 

These systems can shoot small satellites to at least LEO (Low Earth Orbiter). The laser system can connected with a railgun. And it could shoot small rockets to high altitudes, where they can start their engines. The same systems can also shoot 155 mm. GPS-guided ammunitions to extreme long range.

"Project Babylon"

The supergun that could reach space is one of the most interesting things in history. The famous Canadian engineer Gerald Bull created the Project Babylon. Bull's dream was to create a gun, that could shoot satellites into space. That man became famous, because he sold a supergun to Saddam Hussein, and the end of his career was that somebody killed him. 

That cannon is one of the most interesting things in history. These super cannons can also shoot grenades like 155 mm GPS-guided ammunition in ranges that are impossible to regular cannons. Modular structures like automatized drone technology make it possible to assemble even the longest barrel near the operational areas. 

The supply system can deliver cannon to the operational area in pieces. And then crew or robots assemble those pieces in that area. The drones can also used to elevate extremely long barrells. In the film, the cannon is mounted to train. But in visions, it can be on a group of tucks. 

Shooting satellites to orbit by using a regular cannon was not a very good idea during Bull's lifetime. The recoil breaks electronics. But modern flat microchips can stand the acceleration of the cannon ammunition. And that makes GPS-guided grenades possible. But there is a possibility to put a magnetic spring to the nose of the cannon. Engineers can install magnetic accelerators to cannon tubes. And that also gives regular cannons more firing range than regular cannons. 

The drones can pull this magnetic spring outwards. And the lightweight materials make it possible. The magnetic spring can be very long. When the cannon is not in use those drones will lay that spring down. And it can be packed in a small space. Also, there can be a turbine at the nose of the cannon that makes the whirl that makes air thinner. The system can also shoot rockets. Designed to carry ASAT weapons that make it possible to keep recoil lower. The magnetic-assisted cannon shoots that rocket to the maximum altitude. And there it ignites its engine. 

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/japans-railgun-performs-first-test-firing-at-sea