Navy wants railguns for missile defense

The electromagnetic rail gun Could the Navy Both offer additional ranks for land strikes as well as added capabilities in ballistic and cruise missile defense. In a perfect world, the Navy Would like to invest in Particular Both technologies.

However, in this era of shrinking budgets and sequestration, the Navy Likely Has to choose. U.S. Navy Under Secretary Robert Work Said he'd lean more heavily on investing Towards ballistic and cruise missile defense versus land strike.

"We are in over Capitalized strike, strike land. We've got a lot of land strike. I would put all of my money into the electromagnetic rail gun for ballistic and cruise missile defense, "Work Said Thursday at the Surface Naval Association conference in Crystal City, Va..

The Navy HAS Spent the past eight years testing railguns, most is notably rolling out the first weaponized railgun in January 2012. Navy leaders will Have to make investment decisions as the further Top technology continued to mature.


However, the Navy Work Said shoulds delay the decision to continue as They decide how railguns might fit into Their fleet designs. The under secretary does not expect the railgun to be used in surface or submarine naval battles. He Expects the railgun to fall in line with the Navy's power projection To Provide priority from the sea.

"Naval exchanges to naval arent just our thing right now. What it is about is Projecting Power in theaters thesis Where land based anti-access networks with aerial denial guided weapons That can be thrown at ranks in salvos is a very, very problem difficulty and the Navy is very focused on, "Work said.

Missile defense is a priority Throughout The Pentagon as the rest of the world's militaries Their advance guided missile technology.

"We're in a time of enormous technological flow and our enemies are now at a Point Where They Have parity in guided missiles. I do not think They are with us as far as Their purpose networks are doing everything They They Can, "Work said.

Navy leaders have read the research into missile defense and Work Said it's left the admirals excited. Right now, he Said it makes sense in terms The most of the new defense strategy and selling it to Congress.

"There is an awful lot of exciting That analysis says you can do ballistic missile defense and you can do it with cruise missile defense," Work said.

He insisted que le Navy must continue to invest in research directed energy weapons to include electromagnetic railguns.

"Woe to us if we lose ... the race to directed energy weapons and electromagnetic railguns," Work said. "That's not going to be a future That we want."