Fans of 'Quake' and 'Battlestar Galactica' will recognize the U.S. Navy's newest weapon -- the electromagnetic railgun, capable of firing a projectile over 230 miles at seven times the speed of sound, decelerating to Mach 5 at impact.
A test-firing was captured on video at Dahlgren, Virginia, after which the Navy called it "the world's most powereful electromagnetic railgun." It uses kinetic energy rather than explosives, which the Navy says will make its ships safer.
The railgun is planned to eventually replace conventional weapons aboard ships. The Navy's MK 45 gun, currently in use, has a range of under 23 miles. "I never ever want to see a Sailor or a Marine in a fair fight," a Navy official said.
