Return of U.S. battleships?

[Fielder 3,662]

http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-first-look-at-americas-supergun-1464359194

 

Any comment on the likelihood that the railgun will lead to a return of longrange American battleships?

[LAdamson 240]

Read that yesterday. A rail gun that shoots a 25 lb. projectile out of a 32' long barrel at 4500 mph. Pretty cool!  And being all electric/magnetic, it takes the generating power that could run 18,750 homes. 

[HighBypass 2,339]

......it takes the generating power that could run 18,750 homes. ...

 

 

But what are the power requirements of a large warship's systems anyway?

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

I'm familiar with the weapons system and as a coincidence the last reactivation of the BB's. 

 

I worked weapon system program management for the US Navy, and from any perspective I can think of use the BBs for this weapon system is incredibly unlikely for many reasons that come to mind.

 

 

Best wishes!

[HighBypass 2,339]

I think it's not so much a reactivation of BBs (Iowa, Missouri ?) rather production of new classes of battleships perhaps?

[LAdamson 240]

But what are the power requirements of a large warship's systems anyway?

The article that I read ( probably the same), mentioned a warship that already has the generating capacity. 

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

The article that I read ( probably the same), mentioned a warship that already has the generating capacity. 

 

Yes, the system has already been tested at sea and last I knew it was to be installed on an active / deploying vessel

[Slayer 190]

...fire wave motion gun!!

[scott967 62]

DDG 1000 (Zumwalt) which was just delivered to the USN is the first of a three-ship class that is the intended candidate.  Her commissioning date is set for 15 Oct 2016.  The question of utility comes down to gun vs missiles.

 

scott s.

.

[tutmeister 695]

The original question was not one of will they be used at sea. That is likely.

It was one of will it lead to the return of large battleships. That is unlikely. The world changed and the days of battleships like we used to have are long gone. Air power primarily led to the demise of them during the Second World War and they have been obsolete ever since.

That gun however will definitely see use once it is perfected and made more efficient it just won't be on a 'battleship'.

 

Chris