ID :
187167
Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:18
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/187167
The shortlink copeid
S. Korea to develop powerful electromagnetic railgun for Navy
SEOUL, June 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's state-run weapons researcher plans to develop a powerful railgun, which uses electromagnetic energy to fire a projectile much faster than conventional guns, a military source said Wednesday.
Unlike conventional guns that use chemical propellants, a railgun fires a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using electromagnetic energy. The U.S. Navy has tested its railgun that can launch a projectile at seven times the speed of sound.
South Korea's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) will begin work this year to secure core technology for the railgun, which will eventually be fitted for the Navy's next-generation frigate, the source said on the condition of anonymity.
"The railgun is considered the only way to overcome the limit of power of conventional firearms," the source said.
Details of the plan, including its time line and budget, were not immediately available.
The ADD aims to develop a railgun with 64 megajoules of energy that can hit a target 322 kilometers away within six minutes, the source said. A megajoule is roughly equal to the kinetic energy of a 1-ton vehicle moving at 160km per hour.
Since 2005, the U.S. Navy has been developing railguns with a budget of US$211 million and tested a railgun with 33 megajoules of energy, according to the source.
Unlike conventional guns that use chemical propellants, a railgun fires a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using electromagnetic energy. The U.S. Navy has tested its railgun that can launch a projectile at seven times the speed of sound.
South Korea's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) will begin work this year to secure core technology for the railgun, which will eventually be fitted for the Navy's next-generation frigate, the source said on the condition of anonymity.
"The railgun is considered the only way to overcome the limit of power of conventional firearms," the source said.
Details of the plan, including its time line and budget, were not immediately available.
The ADD aims to develop a railgun with 64 megajoules of energy that can hit a target 322 kilometers away within six minutes, the source said. A megajoule is roughly equal to the kinetic energy of a 1-ton vehicle moving at 160km per hour.
Since 2005, the U.S. Navy has been developing railguns with a budget of US$211 million and tested a railgun with 33 megajoules of energy, according to the source.
