Electromagnetic Railgun World Record Shot


BAE Systems, along with partners IAP Research and SAIC, participated in a record-setting shot measuring 33-megajoules (MJ) of muzzle energy set by the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) experimental Electromagnetic Railgun launcher on December 10, 2010. The shot broke ONR’s previously held world record of 10.64MJ of muzzle energy achieved in Jan. 2008.

A MJ is a measurement of energy associated with a mass traveling at a certain velocity. For example, a one-ton vehicle moving at 100 mph equals a MJ of energy.

The experimental Electromagnetic Railgun launcher used for the demonstration was developed through a team led by BAE Systems, after which BAE Systems showcased their advanced composite prototype railgun to Navy leaders.

BAE Systems received a $21 million contract from ONR in February 2009 to design and develop an advanced containment railgun prototype.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *