Electromagnetic Railgun Capabilities on Amphibious Ships
Abstract
An electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) is a developmental weapon that utilizes electromagnetic propulsion to launch kinetic projectile attacks against air, sea, and land targets. This new propulsion technology differs from the current arsenal of naval weapons that utilize chemical missile propulsion and are limited in magazine depth. This study explores the feasibility of using an EMRG in an amphibious assault mission to retake control of a captured islands military base. A naval scenario was simulated in a force-on-force skirmish with various amphibious task force options that included the EMRG weapon in unique configurations. The addition of this weapon showed a significant increase in operational performance over established force compositions based on determined measures of effectiveness and performance. Regression analysis of the results provided high repeatability and reliability factors that verified the operational benefits of the EMRG. Magazine depth, cycle time between rounds, and hit probability proved to be the most important characteristics of the EMRG weapon when conducting an amphibious assault mission. Further technology maturation and naval ship integration are recommended to deploy the EMRG weapon as a capability improvement for future naval missions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1126388
Entities
People
- Adam J. Drake
- Allan P. Guess
- Caleb Schulte
- Nelson S. Ciron
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School