Military Experts Criticize American Railgun

Russian military experts doubt the effectiveness of the American railgun, which shoots metal blanks at the speed of 7,200 kilometers (about 4,474 miles) an hour for 200 kilometers (about 124 miles). They surmise that the new “miracle weapon” is a political move to engage the Russians in a fatal arms race. Using the weapon in combat would fail for many reasons.

In the first place, military engineers and scientists are concerned about the energy installation, which should be located on-board destroyers of the Zumwalt class. After all, to disperse metal shells from high speeds requires colossal amounts of electricity.

“Twenty-five megawatts of energy are needed to power the gun on the boat so that it can shoot — a very complicated task. That is why there are huge problems with its installation on the ship. To develop and implement a properly functioning power source that supports the needs of not only the weapons, but also the ship and its many electrical parts is a task that is virtually impossible,” explained TK “Star” military expert Alexey Leonkov in an interview.

In addition, after the first shot from the railgun, strong electromagnetic radiation and the thermal signature of heated weapons will immediately give the radar stations the location of the enemy ship. Likely following the shot, an air attack or missile will be launched from the other side.

“Low rates of fire directly affect the execution of combat missions. It can take up to several dozen minutes for the electromagnetic guns to cool and be prepared for new shots. It is even possible that this shot, given the energy and illumination on the radar screen of a potential enemy, could be its last,” Leonkov said.

Therefore, other U.S. Navy warships will have to be recruited so that the destroyer obtains reliable protection — frigates, air defense, and submarines, and numerous other support vessels.

“And the main mystery here is whether the destroyer will simultaneously fire from such weapons and protect itself from oncoming threats. After all, there is no computer model for war. The destroyer will not only have to attack, but it will also have to protect itself from the blow. This effectively means that to guarantee the proper functioning of the destroyer with the electromagnetic gun aboard, it must have escort ships so that it can easily carry out its task,” responded military correspondent Victor Litovkin.

Frants Klintsevich, the first deputy of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, believes that a new weapon cannot replace traditional weapons, “even in the near future.” From the first prototype to massive production is a very long time, especially since mass production isn’t established yet. Perhaps, this is because creating a supergun is so expensive.

In addition, the United States intends to use the railgun on the “front” of the opposition between Russia and China, showing that Russia is literally being drawn into the arms race.

“But if Americans are able to make a breakthrough in this field, Russia does not have to respond to it in an exclusively symmetrical way. In order to prevent the changes in the balance of power in the world, we have a large number of different opportunities, which if necessary, will be involved. In short, the situation is under control,” a senator told RIA Novosti.