It has been suggested before that we might one day see a return of the battleships. The one technology that might allow it is truly effective rail gun technology. I remember seeing a story years ago speculating that such a ship parked of the coast of North Korea might be able to lodge shells anywhere onto the Korean Peninsula from well offshore.
Missiles are always likely to have their advantages, including range and maneuverability. But the potential advantage of railguns is a very cheap cost per shot. And instead of a ship’s hold full of explosive-stuffed missiles, your ship has a reactor, a bank of capacitors, and a whole bunch of shells that are little more than big slugs of inert metal.
This article for example suggests a potential railgun range of 200 km.
Us truly mastering railguns is one of the few scenarios that we might actually see a return of the old battleships. Except instead of artillery shells, they’ll be lobbing railgun slugs. And instead of being protected by foot-thick steel armor, they’ll be protected by a porcupine lattice of laser defense systems.
It has been suggested before that we might one day see a return of the battleships. The one technology that might allow it is truly effective rail gun technology. I remember seeing a story years ago speculating that such a ship parked of the coast of North Korea might be able to lodge shells anywhere onto the Korean Peninsula from well offshore.
Missiles are always likely to have their advantages, including range and maneuverability. But the potential advantage of railguns is a very cheap cost per shot. And instead of a ship’s hold full of explosive-stuffed missiles, your ship has a reactor, a bank of capacitors, and a whole bunch of shells that are little more than big slugs of inert metal.
This article for example suggests a potential railgun range of 200 km.
Us truly mastering railguns is one of the few scenarios that we might actually see a return of the old battleships. Except instead of artillery shells, they’ll be lobbing railgun slugs. And instead of being protected by foot-thick steel armor, they’ll be protected by a porcupine lattice of laser defense systems.
How would a battleship defend itself against railguns?
Or would this be a “whoever shoots first wins” scenario?
I’m not sure. Assumedly, the same way it would protect itself against ballistic missiles.
Doing an aikido roll at the last moment?