Scott Nicholas
General Atomics‘ electromagnetic systems business has used a three-megajoule railgun system to fire three guidance electronics unit-equipped hypersonic projectiles during a test series at the U.S. Army‘s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah.
The company said Wednesday that the Blitzer railgun fired the projectiles at launch accelerations at a speed more than 30,000 times faster than gravity.
The GEU unit installed on the projectiles contains a new battery configuration and General Atomics-made guidance, navigation and control software.
The tests also showcased a two-way data link that worked to connect in-flight projectiles and a ground station at Dugway Proving Ground.
“We are on track to conduct another series of tests using the Blitzer 10 MJ railgun system later this year,” said Nick Bucci, vice president of missile defense and space systems at GA-EMS.
“With each new firing, we continue maturing the technologies and performing risk reduction toward a multi-mission railgun weapon system that supports future operation on land and at sea.”
The company also built a container system designed to increase the energy density of pulsed power systems in military railguns.
