Rail Guns coming??

The Navy has tested a rail gun in Virginia and is happy with the results.

If this works as well in a full scale model as it did in the test, the consequences are huge. No more explosives stored in the ship's magazines. No more surface to surface or surface to air missiles with ranges of less then 250 miles needed. The cost of firing the weapon will decrease from $1 million (for a Tomahawk) a shot to the cost of a bullet (a few hundred at most). No warhead is needed in the shot because of the velocity of the bullet.

Strategy Page also has an interesting write up on the subject.

This technology won't be available for a number of years still and a test of concept does not make a weapon system, but the development continues.

Looking forward to seeing more on this.

Hat tip Lucianne