The U.S. Navy's most terrifying weapon right now is the railgun. Period.
Capable of accelerating a projectile from 0-Mach 6 in just 10 milliseconds test videos have shown it to cut through over six sheets of steel plating like butter.
Developed by BAE Systems, this futuristic weapon doesn't use conventional explosives to fire a round, instead it uses electricity to charge ultra-powerful magnets which then accelerate the projectile down the barrel.
While early prototype videos showed it to be large and bulky, BAE has now finally unveiled its finished concept which will be deployed on military vessels for testing next year.
The U.S. Navy's testing phase will involve using both small slugs and then larger more streamlined projectiles which can be remotely steered once fired.
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What makes the railgun so terrifying?
Using a railgun completely eliminates the need for an explosive shell. Due to the sheer speed the gun uses 'slugs' instead which cause damage through force.
Powered by a 'pulse' firing system that's no bigger than a packet of cigarettes, the gun can send a slug through the air at speeds of up to Mach 7.
When you consider how damaging just one of these slugs is, BAE has revealed that it's actually started development on a quick-firing version which will be able to re-charge and fire multiple rounds-per-minute.
The U.S. Navy has been testing the railgun prototype for years now, however with a final concept now complete it'll begin real-world testing on ships at the start of 2016.