New And Improved Navy Railgun Destroys From 100 Miles Away In Six Minutes

It takes longer to heat up a burrito! Plus, what good is a burrito if it's 100 miles away? Zero. As you may recall, the Navy has been working on a railgun that they hope will eventually be able to accurately shoot projectiles up to 200 miles. And, well, they're halfway there. Me? I'm halfway through my third cocktail. Yes, with a little umbrella.

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.

Wait, I'm always bad at these conversions. So is a 33-megajoule railgun the equivalent of 33 1-ton cars traveling at 100mph or a 1-ton car traveling at 3,300mph? Or -- OR -- a 33-ton car traveling at 100mph? Because I'm not gonna lie, that sounds like a gas-guzzler. 0.00000000000000000001MPG's amirite?!

Hit the jump for some impressive video of a rail being gunned that includings some ultra slow-mo footage that'll make your panties moist. Possibly soggy.

This Navy Electric Railgun Annihilates Targets 100 Miles Away In Six Minutes [gizmodo]
and
Youtube

Thanks to Chen and sam, who're still convinced lasers are the way to go. I'm with you guys. Not literally, but in spirit at least.

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