Could this be the grandfather system to the OGRE Secondary Battery?

Hurinironhammer · 08-21-2016, 09:00 PM

Ran across this on an internet search. http://www.ga.com/railgun-systems If anyone with better computer skills than mine (which would be all of you) can tell me if is not legitimate then I would appreciate it. I had heard of research into the railgun concept, but had never actually seen a company talking about it, much less a conceptual video. I then thought of OGRE weapons and was just wondering how long it will take for DARPA or others to develop OGRE style projectile weapons such as the Secondary and Main batteries. Of course, this railgun concept refers to pin point accuracy. The OGRE projectile weapons, firing tactical nuclear shells, create an area of effect (spillover fire anyone?), but that is one heck of an area of effect. Off to read about the Davy Crockett weapons system and the M65 atomic cannon. Need to re-read Tank-Present, Future, Ogre . . . by Charles R. Bowles over in the article section here at SJGames.
Here is the link to the YouTube video that got me interested in it, and hence my concern on validity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNLrQhn5nLo

Phasma Felis · 08-21-2016, 11:54 PM

I know I've read about prototype military railgun systems as far back as '95, though I couldn't cite a source--and they might have been going on earlier than that, since that was shortly after I first got internet.

As far as I know, all proposed railgun systems are very much pinpoint weapons, firing solid kinetic slugs at hypervelocity. I'd thought that this was mandatory, that the slug needs to be 100% ferrous to gain the full benefit of electromagnetic acceleration, but I may be mistaken about that; railguns apparently work best with the slug mounted in a larger armature/sabot type thing, which does the work of actually carrying the current. In any case I suspect that missiles will remain the optimum delivery vehicle for nuclear warheads for the foreseeable future. They're more vulnerable to point defense fire, but PD can only do so much against weapons with a kill radius close to the PD's maximum range.

paperwarrior · 08-22-2016, 04:06 AM

Yes, the railgun you saw in those videos IS legitimate. The system does exist and is in the final stages of testing. One of the problems to overcome for ground forces to use it is the amount of electrical power it takes to fire it. That is why the Navy is likely the first to deploy it. They have an entire ship to power it. For ground forces, right now, it takes several semi-tractor-trailer units just to power and fire one gun. We'll get there, though.

Phasma Felis · 08-23-2016, 12:48 PM

Having a nuclear power plant on hand does help. Even then, I've read that the plan is to shut down the engine/propeller when firing, so that all available power can be sent to the gun.

08-21-2016, 09:00 PM	#1
Hurinironhammer Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Somehwere in Missouri	Could this be the grandfather system to the OGRE Secondary Battery? Ran across this on an internet search. http://www.ga.com/railgun-systems If anyone with better computer skills than mine (which would be all of you) can tell me if is not legitimate then I would appreciate it. I had heard of research into the railgun concept, but had never actually seen a company talking about it, much less a conceptual video. I then thought of OGRE weapons and was just wondering how long it will take for DARPA or others to develop OGRE style projectile weapons such as the Secondary and Main batteries. Of course, this railgun concept refers to pin point accuracy. The OGRE projectile weapons, firing tactical nuclear shells, create an area of effect (spillover fire anyone?), but that is one heck of an area of effect. Off to read about the Davy Crockett weapons system and the M65 atomic cannon. Need to re-read Tank-Present, Future, Ogre . . . by Charles R. Bowles over in the article section here at SJGames. Here is the link to the YouTube video that got me interested in it, and hence my concern on validity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNLrQhn5nLo Last edited by Hurinironhammer; 08-21-2016 at 09:22 PM.

08-21-2016, 11:54 PM	#2
Phasma Felis Join Date: Aug 2016	Re: Could this be the grandfather system to the OGRE Secondary Battery? I know I've read about prototype military railgun systems as far back as '95, though I couldn't cite a source--and they might have been going on earlier than that, since that was shortly after I first got internet. As far as I know, all proposed railgun systems are very much pinpoint weapons, firing solid kinetic slugs at hypervelocity. I'd thought that this was mandatory, that the slug needs to be 100% ferrous to gain the full benefit of electromagnetic acceleration, but I may be mistaken about that; railguns apparently work best with the slug mounted in a larger armature/sabot type thing, which does the work of actually carrying the current. In any case I suspect that missiles will remain the optimum delivery vehicle for nuclear warheads for the foreseeable future. They're more vulnerable to point defense fire, but PD can only do so much against weapons with a kill radius close to the PD's maximum range.

08-22-2016, 04:06 AM	#3
paperwarrior Join Date: Jun 2016	Re: Could this be the grandfather system to the OGRE Secondary Battery? Yes, the railgun you saw in those videos IS legitimate. The system does exist and is in the final stages of testing. One of the problems to overcome for ground forces to use it is the amount of electrical power it takes to fire it. That is why the Navy is likely the first to deploy it. They have an entire ship to power it. For ground forces, right now, it takes several semi-tractor-trailer units just to power and fire one gun. We'll get there, though.

08-23-2016, 12:48 PM	#4
Phasma Felis Join Date: Aug 2016	Re: Could this be the grandfather system to the OGRE Secondary Battery? Having a nuclear power plant on hand does help. Even then, I've read that the plan is to shut down the engine/propeller when firing, so that all available power can be sent to the gun.