In Geopolitics Today - Friday, July 2nd
US Navy Abandons Railgun to Focus on Hypersonic Missiles and Quantum Sensors May Replace Radar in the Future
US Navy Abandons Railgun to Focus on Hypersonic Missiles
It appears that the The US Navy’s pursuit of an operational railgun aboard its vessels has been abandoned. Reports suggest that the electric-powered weapon, capable of firing projectiles at up to seven times the speed of sound, has unimpressed in testing and will no longer be pursued. As Matthew Caris, a defence analyst, succinctly put it: “The railgun is, for the moment, dead.”
The US Navy has been pursuing the viability of electromagnetic railgun weapons for over a decade, and even considered putting them on Zumwalt-class destroyers. The technology went through intensive testing, during which the development ran into a number of problems. Those included a low maximum range of about 110 miles, — making any vessel fitted with such a weapon susceptible to missile fire — as well as a low rate of fire making the technology limited in defensive contingencies.
This means the US Navy will be seeking to fill the strategic gap with other capabilities, namely — hypersonic missiles. Navy spokesperson, Lt. Courtney Callaghan, said that the Navy’s decision frees up resources the pursuit of hypersonic missiles, directed-energy systems, and electronic warfare systems. The US Navy has also been seeking a hypervelocity projectile that can be fired from existing gun systems.
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Quantum Sensors May Replace Radar in the Future
New experimental technologies can be dangerously disruptive to the status quo and they have the potential of bringing about great change in existing balances of power. A new kind of sensor, called ‘quantum radar,’ is one such military technology, potentially offering the promise of stealth detection to the defender. While still in its early stages and with numerous technical limitations, it could one day shift current assumptions regarding defensive and offensive warfare.
The main problem with implementing the technology lies in its limited range. In 2015, a study concluded that the effective range of such radars would be under 7 miles, while in 2016, a Chinese team claimed to have a functional quantum radar with a range of 61 miles. But the ability to detect stealth aircraft and UAVs would still be a considerable capability. And as development matures over time, particularly at a time when the F-35 stealth craft is said to be the most advanced fighter of its time, quantum radars may have consequences in geopolitical terms.
Quantum radars represent a potentially revolutionary technology in military terms. It has the potential to transform warfare in the 21st century by making stealth technology obsolete, and could therefore impact deterrence calculations first and foremost. But for now, the technology is far from being operational on a battlefield, and uncertainty remains around whether it can live up to such a potential.
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