Indian navy railgun development

[raja696]

Rail guns need huge electricity which means they need nuclear reactors or big generators. Smaller generators will result in 1 round per 10 minutes

What about mini railguns on our tanks? Compatible with diesel gensets. And small size projectile with min range. Some where i read projectiles can be guided in future to the target.

 

[Prashant12]

Indian Scientists Successfully Fire Electromagnetic Railgun (Mach 6) Test Shot


The Indian Defense Research organization hopes to soon complete trials of electromagnetic railguns that would give the country's naval forces a superlative advantage and a capability to launch devastating attacks on both land and sea targets.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — Indian defense scientists have successfully developed electromagnetic railguns (EMRG) that can fire projectiles at Mach 6 (six times the speed of sound) or 4,600 miles per hour. Such railguns are touted as one of the future technologies of warfare, as they use kinetic and laser energy instead of controlled explosives for firing missiles.

READ MORE: India's Subsonic Nuke Capable Cruise Missile Hits Bull's Eye on Fifth Trial

According to the state-owned Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), a 12 mm square bore EMRG has been successfully tested and they are preparing for the 30 mm variety. The target is to accelerate a one kilogram projectile to a velocity of more than 2,000 m/s with a capacitor bank of 10 megajoules.

"A simple, single pulse driven railgun launcher was developed with a minimum of metal components in proximity to the bore to maximize the inductance of the launcher and to improve the launch efficiency. The launcher has a 12 mm square bore cross-section. The launcher was fabricated with lengths ranging from 1 to 2 meter," a defense scientist involved with the project told Sputnik on condition of anonymity.

READ MORE: India Set to Conduct Fifth Trial of Homegrown Cruise Missile

Experts are of the opinion that India is gaining expertise beyond the conventional fields for technology development.

"As handling will be very easy, the armed forces can deploy it at any location in an emergency situation. It will be a very tactical weapon for the naval forces, Rajiv Nayan, a missile technology expert at the Delhi-based Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses (IDSA), told Sputnik.

Another expert believes that such technological advancements will not only provide more teeth to the armed forces, but will also affect a change in the principles that guide the Indian military's approach to warfare.

"These are the times of early stages of development and more such tests in the future would help India to operationalize this technology, which eventually could demand some changes into the military doctrines," Ajey Lele, a security analyst at IDSA, told Sputnik.

India expects to equip its naval forces with EMRG as the system has the potential to provide responsive, long-range, accurate and high-volume naval surface fire support. Railguns will also eventually be able to engage surface targets in direct-fire mode. Overall, EMRG will offer numerous advantages over conventional naval gunfire systems, as they have extremely long range, speed and accuracy thus nullifying the escape factor of an enemy platform or approaching projectile.


https://sputniknews.com/military/201711071058896240-india-electromagnetic-railgun-test/

 

[LETHALFORCE]

http://defenceupdate.in/drdo-electromagnetic-railgun-future-weapon-indian-navy/

DRDO Electromagnetic Railgun :- The Future Weapon Of Indian Navy

Rail gun is a weapon capable of launching projectile without the usage of explosives or propellants, but, are launched at extremely high velocities, mach 7 (at sea level) or more. Capability of launching projectiles at velocities higher than guns and cannons makes rail gun hit targets at greater ranges capable of hitting the target with extreme speed and accuracy thus nullifying the escape factor of the enemy platform or an approaching projectile. With the usage of rail gun the hazards of usage of explosives and chemical propellants are evaded as well.

Ever since the U.S. NAVY showed the power of the Railgun and its advantages,we in the Indian Defense Research organization feel that this latest weapon the electromagnetic railgun launcher will give our Naval forces in the Arabian sea a superlative advantage and a capability to launch devastating attacks on both land and sea targets.

This gun uses a form of electromagnetic energy known as the Lorentz force to hurl a 230-250 pound projectile at speeds exceeding Mach 7-8.
According to the DRDO website, a 12 mm square bore Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) has actually been tested. Another 30 mm square bore EMRG is also ready for tests.Their target is to accelerate a 1 kg projectile to a velocity of more than 2000 m/s (~Mach 6) with a capacitor bank of 10 Mega Joules.

As of now it is in a rudimentary prototype stage and further tests are required to improve it’s performance and make it a feasible weapon system.
The electromagnetic railgun represents an incredible new blistering offensive capability for our Navy which rules the Arabian sea right now. This capability will allow us to effectively counter a wide range of threats at a relatively low cost, while keeping our ships and sailors safer by removing the need to carry many high-explosive weapons on the ship.

This massive railgun that we are developing needs just one navy-gunner/sailor to operate and it relies on the electromagnetic energy of the Lorentz force—the combination of electric and magnetic forces on a point charge—for power.

The problem is that the only ships that will be able to generate the gargantuan 25 megawatts of power (enough to power almost 19,000 homes) required to fire the railgun are the aircraft Carrier and Destroyers

The issue of power is a barrier that will get smaller with time. New capacitors, more resistant materials and better pulse power storage systems could all contribute to making the railgun more efficient. Computer-aided design, 3D printing techniques and better dielectric materials—materials that don’t conduct electricity but can store energy in the form of an electrostatic field—could all lead to making the EM railgun viable.

The Indian Navy likes this weapon for several reasons, not the least of which it has a range of 200 miles and doesn’t require explosive warheads. That makes it far safer for sailors, and cheaper for taxpayers. According to the Indian Army and Navy experts each 12-inch diameter tapered projectile which is 6 feet in Length and 250 pounds costs about Rs 15,00,000, compared to Rs 7500,000 for conventional missiles.
Also since the missiles are hurled at the speed of mach 7-8. they will hit their targets within seconds after being fired with explosive force.

Testing OF Rail Gun:

On 31st January 2008 U.S. Navy tested a rail gun that fired a projectile at 10.64 MJ with a muzzle velocity of 2,520 m/s. The required power was provided by a new 9-megajoule capacitor bank using solid-state switches and high-energy-density capacitors and an older 32-megajoule pulse power system from the US Army’s Green Farm Electric Gun Research and Development Facility. The rail gun is expected to be ready for deployment between 2020 to 2025.

With the advent of rail gun as a weapon owing to its ultra high speed and accuracy which will allow for a abysmally small reaction time to evade its projectile, all airborne battle platforms like fighter jets and sea faring battle platforms like aircraft carriers and large ships will theoritically become outdated and will run the risk of unavoidable destruction once detected and targeted by the radar of the launching ship or platform harbouring the rail gun. Guided rail gun projectiles are also being thought of to be developed.

It seems that future warfare attack as well as defence systems will have to depend on radars and launch platforms having the ability to respond within extremely small scope of reaction time and having the capability to launch hypersonic projectiles/missiles and ultra high energy DEW within that time to counter launches from platforms such as the rail gun. With such lethal launching platforms of weapon the launching platform which will detect and launch an attack first will hold a great advantage over its adversary.

 

[Armand2REP]

According to the DRDO website, a 12 mm square bore Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) has actually been tested. Another 30 mm square bore EMRG is also ready for tests.Their target is to accelerate a 1 kg projectile to a velocity of more than 2000 m/s (~Mach 6) with a capacitor bank of 10 Mega Joules.

When the US did its first test at 10 MJ their round weighed 7kg, why only 1kg?

 

[Johny_Baba]

Well,one fact.

Railguns are highly inefficient guns (only about 1 to 3 percent of energy applied to the projectile converts into Kinetic Energy in railguns ) but the ballistic advancements it provides are important,so it should be used to launch missiles instead of as replacement for conventional guns.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

When the US did its first test at 10 MJ their round weighed 7kg, why only 1kg?

That has to be a typo??????????????

 

[Armand2REP]

Well,one fact.

Railguns are highly inefficient guns (only about 1 to 3 percent of energy applied to the projectile converts into Kinetic Energy in railguns ) but the ballistic advancements it provides are important,so it should be used to launch missiles instead of replacement for conventional guns.

Once you apply a guidance package it is effectively a cheap missile.

 

[Johny_Baba]

Once you apply a guidance package it is effectively a cheap missile.

Yeah i am not much technical when it comes to these modern projectile launchers,but you got my point.

For smaller unguided projectiles,conventional artillery is enough for moderate ranges.

For long range operations and guided projectiles,railguns are going to replace current gen launchers.

 

[Johny_Baba]

This video is on US Navy's experiments with Railguns,and i think we should keep these points in minds as well while experimenting with same.

 

[Indibomber]

This is a wonderful news, I hope we are able to make weapons/guns like Metal Storm. This will enhance capacity of our Armies specially our foot soldiers, they wont need to carry heavy loads.

 

[Armand2REP]

Yeah i am not much technical when it comes to these modern projectile launchers,but you got my point.

For smaller unguided projectiles,conventional artillery is enough for moderate ranges.

For long range operations and guided projectiles,railguns are going to replace current gen launchers.

With the development of HVP rounds it can replace the whole range of SAMs. The US is developing the projectile made for EMRG to apply it to conventional 5 inch and 155mm guns which can replace SRSAM and MRSAM. Railgun range can replace LRSAM.

 

[Suryavanshi]

So I guess the age of cannon is back

 

[HariPrasad-1]

This is the most significant technological achievement in the field of defense. This has put us in a totally different league of defense and at par with US and Russia and above most of the so called technologically advance countries. With hypersonic missile, Laser and rail gun, we shall be a different nation so far as defense technologies are concern. Development was under way since eighties and some tests were carried out in eighties itself. There is a research paper published on those testings and it is the only revaluation of the project so far as I know. Except that paper, this project was never recognized ever by and Indian officials.

 

[HariPrasad-1]

I do not see much enthusiasm like some missile firing. May be because many people do not know what rail gun is.

 

[Superdefender]

Has the upcoming P17A Frigate design incorporated EMRG? If not higher, can we expect smaller square bore?

 

[sayareakd]

I do not see much enthusiasm like some missile firing. May be because many people do not know what rail gun is.

Hari ji, they dont know what it could do and how we are at the forefront of the tech which can shoot hypersonic projectile. Here this video explains it all.

 

[Screambowl]

When the US did its first test at 10 MJ their round weighed 7kg, why only 1kg?

a Unit mass is always best to begin with 1 , 10, 100 , 1000 . This we learnt during our lectures in experimental physics etc..

You can then estimate more accurately when you further develop the projectile or the force applier

When the US did its first test at 10 MJ their round weighed 7kg, why only 1kg?

I don't think it was the first test honestly.

 

[Kshithij]

I do not see much enthusiasm like some missile firing. May be because many people do not know what rail gun is.

Hari ji, they dont know what it could do and how we are at the forefront of the tech which can shoot hypersonic projectile. Here this video explains it all.

The firing of Rail gun projectile is dependent on electrical energy stored in capacitors. The firing of rockets, artillery etc is based on chemical energy stored in the explosive fuel.

If one has to claim that Rail gun is better than artillery or rockets, one has to first state as to how electrical energy is better than chemical energy.

The reality is that the capacitors storing such large amounts of energy are much bigger in size than the chemical compounds. Also, the fuel required to power up the capacitors is also larger in size than corresponding chemical compounds (unless nuclear energy used). Also, since the chemicals are already manufactured beforehand, the firing rate is high. While the capacitors have to be charged for every round and takes lot of time.

This results in the following problems with railguns-
1. Large fuel requirements to generate additional electrical power to fire railguns. This means that only nuclear powered vessels can use them practically for repeated firing. Since only aircraft carrier has nuclear power, it is only usable on carriers.
2. Slow recharge of capacitors means the firing rate of railguns are slower.
3. Specialised rails and equipment to use large amounts of electromagnetic force will require large number of moving parts and have higher chance of faults. The space requirements is also large.
4. Since the projectile is fired by electromagnetic force, using of metallic projectiles are important. Projectiles like rockets, missiles have non metallic fuel and parts which may not be able to be fired efficiently.

Rail guns are a very bad idea. It is practically useless.

 

[sayareakd]

This results in the following problems with railguns-
1. Large fuel requirements to generate additional electrical power to fire railguns. This means that only nuclear powered vessels can use them practically for repeated firing. Since only aircraft carrier has nuclear power, it is only usable on carriers.
2. Slow recharge of capacitors means the firing rate of railguns are slower.
3. Specialised rails and equipment to use large amounts of electromagnetic force will require large number of moving parts and have higher chance of faults. The space requirements is also large.
4. Since the projectile is fired by electromagnetic force, using of metallic projectiles are important. Projectiles like rockets, missiles have non metallic fuel and parts which may not be able to be fired efficiently.

Rail guns are a very bad idea. It is practically useless.

Sir you understand what is Research and Development, let them deal with it. It has to be made into working weapon.

It has to be put into vehicle like this laser

then charged and fire.

We are now working on Hypersonic stuff that is what is important, we need to control them and move them the way we like for both offensive and defensive warfare.

 

[sayareakd]

Rail gun was tested by DRDO lab in 1994

http://publications.drdo.gov.in/ojs/index.php/dsj/article/view/4179/2439