Supergun to destroy enemy from 160km distance

London: Scientists are developing what they call a supergun which could obliterate a target 160km away through sheer power using a bullet fired at eight times the speed of sound. The gun, which was tested recently at the Naval Surface Warfare Centre in Dahlgren, Virginia, has been described as the most powerful in the world.
A shot fired by the electromagnetic railgun generated 33 megajoules of force out of the barrel -- a world record for muzzle energy and more than three times the previous record.

A single megajoule is roughly equivalent to a one-tonne car travelling at 160 kmph. The impact of the projectile hitting a target would be 33 times that force, according to media reports.

According to the report, the bullet would take just minutes to fire over 160km and would hit with pinpoint accuracy with a velocity that's impossible in conventional guns.

The hi-tech cannon fires a 20lb bullet or missile at a speed that is impossible in conventional guns. The makers claim it has pinpoint accuracy.

Instead of relying on an explosive propellant such as gunpowder, the railgun uses a giant surge of electrical energy to fire the bullet at speeds approaching Mach 8. The bullet doesn't explode on impact but obliterates whatever it hits through sheer power.

Currently, US warships can only reach targets about 13 miles away, but the navy hopes the new gun will allow attacks from a much safer distance.

Source: Mailonline