The Navy's 'sci-fi' super gun: a guide

The U.S. Navy has created the world's most powerful cannon, which can fire a 23 pound bullet at seven times the speed of sound. Should we cheer this futuristic "railgun"?

A high-speed camera image of the Electromagnetic Railgun -- an electrically powered, long-range gun launch system.
(Image credit: U.S. Navy photo/ Released)

U.S. Navy scientists broke their own world record for the most powerful gunshot, firing a 23-pound projectile 5,500 feet in a second. (Watch video of the test below.) With the amount of power it generates, the experimental electromagnetic "railgun" can hit a target 110 miles away. What is this "sci-fi" super-cannon, how does it work, and what does it promise for the future of warfare?

How does a railgun work?

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