Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

U.S. Navy to Deploy Rail Guns by 2011

Posted by michael on from the warporn dept.

Walter Francis writes "The U.S. Navy has apparently been busy. They have been focusing heavily on the next generation of weapons and propulsion systems, including Microwave, Laser, and Electromagnetic-Kinetic weapons, more commonly known as railguns. What specifically surprised me was the fact that the Navy plans to deploy these systems as early as 2011, on their DD(X) frigates. The range of these rail guns is estimated to be over 250 miles."

33 of 1,172 comments (clear)

  1. Suggestion for their autoexec.cfg by SIGALRM · · Score: 5, Funny

    name USS Abraham Lincoln
    set cl_maxpackets 120
    set rate 20000
    set snaps 40
    set cg_fov 80

    --
    Sigs cause cancer.
    1. Re:Suggestion for their autoexec.cfg by silverfuck · · Score: 5, Funny

      Original (or as close as I know it) Naval Institute's Proceedings (1989) version:

      "Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on manoeuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the Captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, "Light, bearing on the starboard bow."
      "Is it steady or moving astern?" the Captain called out.
      Lookout replied, "Steady, Captain," Which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.
      The Captain then called to the signalman, "Signal that ship: We are on a collisoon course, advise you change course 20 degrees."
      Back came the signal "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees."
      In reply, the Captain said, "Send: I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees."
      "I'm a seaman second class," Came the reply, "You had better change course 20 degrees."
      By that time, the Captain, was furious. He spat out, "Send: I'm a battleship, change course 20 degrees."
      Back came the flashing light: "I'm a lighthouse!"

      We changed course."

      --
      You know you've been IMing too long when you almost say 'lol' out loud to a non-geeky friend...
    2. Re:Suggestion for their autoexec.cfg by Ateryx · · Score: 5, Funny

      Just wait until the Army h4x0rs reality... then those al qaeda n00bs will be pwned.

      I can just hear the radio messages:
      [GIJOE] we gots a.q. n00bs coming up on the left
      [G-Unit] aight i'm campin' w/ rail gun
      *G-Unit kills a.qn00bie with headshot*
      *G-Unit kills i.h8.4m3r1c4ns with headshot*
      [al qaeda pwns] (squiggles with dots) americans hax0rs! (squiggles w/ dots) allah will ban you!11!!11
      *G-Unit kills al qaedapwns with headshot*

      --
      "The truth suffers from too much analysis"
  2. If History Is Fulfilled... by andyrut · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just know my archnemesis NoobFragger69 will be camping it the moment it's deployed.

  3. Are You Ready? Go! by American+AC+in+Paris · · Score: 5, Funny
    What specifically surprised me was the fact that the Navy plans to deploy these systems as early as 2011, on their DD(X) Frigates.

    Forget the railguns--I wanna hear more about these Dance Dance Xtreme frigates--sounds like a great way for swabbies to get in shape and destroy the enemy at the same time!

    P.S. Linking to PDFs in article summaries makes baby Mozilla cry.

    --

    Obliteracy: Words with explosions

  4. US Navy to Deploy Rail Guns by 2011 by NanoGator · · Score: 5, Funny

    Great. The next big American stereotype will be that we're all 'faggot campers'.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
    1. Re:US Navy to Deploy Rail Guns by 2011 by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Funny

      "What do you mean, "next" ?"

      Click here for more detailed information about your question.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    2. Re:US Navy to Deploy Rail Guns by 2011 by tunabomber · · Score: 5, Funny

      ... and that's ignoring the fact that the Navy will no doubt be using aimbots.

      Kim Jong Il: A headshot from the other side of the map?! WTF?!! OMFG!!! GAY CHEETR!!!

      Just wait 'til the Army starts putting their wallhacking radar vision into widespread use...

      --

      pi = 3.141592653589793helpimtrappedinauniversefactory71 ...
    3. Re:US Navy to Deploy Rail Guns by 2011 by trentblase · · Score: 3, Funny

      That would make us camping rocket whores.

  5. Haven't you forgotten something, Captain Avatar? by The+I+Shing · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't forget the Wave Motion Gun!
    It's our only hope against Desslok and the Gamalons!
    Sing it with me now... "We're off to outer space..."

    --
    You are in error. No-one is screaming. Thank you for your cooperation.
  6. Arnie.. by cOdEgUru · · Score: 4, Funny

    In other news, Arnold will take a break from being the Governor of CA and will be test driving this beauty..

    Seriously, what better character to fire this weapon than our very own Governator?

    Alright you Illegal Aliens..line up.. preferably in a straight line..Hold...

    --
    Rapid Nirvana
  7. I love this quote by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Our bottom line is that if we can put millions of joules of energy onto a target, something will happen."

    Indeed.

    1. Re:I love this quote by telstar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Can't argue with that logic...

    2. Re:I love this quote by BabyDave · · Score: 5, Funny

      A bit excessive - 640kJ should be enough for anyone!
      [ducks]

    3. Re:I love this quote by Jesus_666 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hmm... A Snickers bar has 1142.28 kJ. So if a railgun would deliver 1 million Joules it had the power of 875.4 Snickers. Or 0.875 kilosnickers.
      Come on, that "(kilo|mega)tons of TNT" thing is getting old, but I'd sure like to see a 5 kilosnickers railgun.

      Besides, a weapon that sucks millions of joules out of a target would be much better. You could use all that energy to hit a second target or as a fast source of energy (for everyone who needs a few millions of joules of energy in the next 0.2 seconds).

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
  8. Mr Rumsfeld = Dr Evil? by fluke_finder · · Score: 4, Funny

    I want ships...ships with freakin lasers!

  9. Another source, details, not crashing yet by richardbowers · · Score: 5, Funny

    Other sites are also covering this -- without needing to use acrobat reader.

    I can't read the original, but according to the link I'm including, they're not just talking railguns - they're also talking free electron lasers and masers. Now, if only they'd provision a banana-fana-fo-faser, we'd be set.

    --
    Law is whatever is boldly asserted and plausibly maintained. -- Aaron Burr
  10. I love this quote by Botunda · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Our bottom line is that if we can put millions of joules of energy onto a target, something will happen."

    Well no shit. Really?

    I love my country. I hate what we have let it become

  11. Respawn by NanoGator · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well that's neat but I'm still not joining the army until they invent the respawn point.

    --
    "Derp de derp."
    1. Re:Respawn by setzman · · Score: 5, Funny
      Well that's neat but I'm still not joining the army until they invent the respawn point.

      According to the commander in chief and his advisors, there already are two respawn points: heaven and hell. Supposedly allies respawn in heaven, opfor respawn in hell.

      --
      C:\>
  12. Yeah, but... by LesPaul75 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The range of these rail guns is estimated to be over 250 miles.

    Yeah, but at that distance, the enemy will be smaller than a single pixel... you won't even be able to see him behind your little aiming dot.

  13. Nice improvements! by Zygote-IC- · · Score: 4, Funny

    The range of these rail guns is estimated to be over 250 miles.

    That is damn impressive! The railgun I used back in the mid 1990s could barely fire all the way across 2fort4!

  14. Re:Yes!!! by Rei · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't be silly; our military doesn't kill civilians. If they're killed by our military, they're either "collateral damage" or "enemy combattants". Haven't you ever watched embedded coverage?

    Besides, there's no way to really know how many died, so we shouldn't take the effort to count....

    --
    I just invaded Grammar Czechoslovakia and duped Grammar Neville Chamberlain; now it's on to Grammar Poland.
  15. Re:Are You Ready? Go! by maxbang · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...I wanna hear more about these Dance Dance Xtreme frigates...

    I hear their dancing to some kickass tracks laid down by the Party Posse. Yvan eht nioj, hctib.

    --
    I also reply below your current threshold.
  16. In other news... by nacturation · · Score: 5, Funny

    In other news, the Army plans to deploy Quad Damage by 2009.

    --
    Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
    1. Re:In other news... by neon-fx · · Score: 3, Funny

      I can just imagine them blasting targets with these, while some soldier next to them shouts "Double Kill! Multi Kill! RAMPAGE! GODLIKE!"

  17. Re:To quote the greatest by maxbang · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't get too proud of this technological terror you have constructed. The ability to destroy target from 250 miles is insignificant next to the power of the Force...

    in my pants.

    --
    I also reply below your current threshold.
  18. Re:Are You Ready? Go! by another_henry · · Score: 3, Funny

    As usual the Japanese are way ahead of us.

    --
    "Studies have shown that people who eat peanuts live longer than those who do not eat."
  19. Re:steel beams from space? by ElektroHolunder · · Score: 5, Funny

    Rumor has it that the first draft proposed the use of giant anvils labelled with "ACME"

  20. Re:im no physics expert but wouldnt it be silent? by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 3, Funny

    In front of the cannon you'd get a hell of a lot more than a *sonic* shock when the projectile hit you in the face...

  21. Re:Haven't you forgotten something, Captain Avatar by CaptainAvatar · · Score: 4, Funny
    Only 354 days to save the Earth, what am I doing sitting here reading slashdot??

    (Finally, my nick pays off!)

    --
    The real Captain Avatar is a fictional character, so I suppose he doesn't mind if I impersonate him.
  22. Re:im no physics expert but wouldnt it be silent? by LPetrazickis · · Score: 4, Funny

    Therefore, the gun will need a really big "Point Away From Face" sign. I'm talking humongous. Really, really, really, really big lettering. Can't be too safe.:)

    --
    Is this a sigs-optional kind of place? 'Cause I am totally down with that if you know what I mean.
  23. Re:recruiting by E_elven · · Score: 3, Funny

    Military is also a really good way to get killed. Like, for real. Can't respawn from that.

    --
    Marxist evolution is just N generations away!