Application of electromagnetic guns to future naval platforms

Designs for future naval vessels are strongly considering electric drive systems. Already employed in commercial cruise ships, electric drive offers the advantages of increased ship design flexibility, improved efficiency, reduced maintenance and allows ship prime power to be easily diverted to other electrical loads as needed. The ability to use ship prime power generation, which ranges between 40 and 150 MW depending on vessel class, for other electric loads provides the opportunity to electrify many existing functions as well as add new performance enhancing systems. The recent and ongoing emergence of electric gun and guided projectile technologies now allows very long range naval fire support functions to be evaluated for viability. In this paper, conceptual system designs for surface fire support of forces in littoral campaigns are considered. Key advantages of an EM fire support weapon over conventional technologies include reduced logistics burden and cost per round, greater lethality, shorter time of flight, improved survivability and the ability to stow more rounds. Notional mission requirements, projectile, power supply issues and ship integration issues are discussed. Also, other shipboard uses for the pulse power system required for these notional electric gun systems are also reviewed.