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Navy Aims for 5,600-mph Bullet To Shoot Down Missiles

By    |   Thursday, 02 August 2012 02:37 PM EDT

The U.S. Navy is trying to develop an electrically fired, GPS-guided, 5,600-mph bullet that can shoot down missiles coming at a warship, Wired.com reported.

The hypersonic bullet would be used with a cutting-edge cannon known as the Electromagnetic Rail Gun, Wired.com reported, and the Navy’s Office of Naval Research also wants this guided bullet to be compatible with current naval artillery guns. The push is part of a program called Hyper Velocity Projectile, in which the Navy is trying to bolster its warships’ capabilities to shoot down missiles and fire munitions at miles-away enemies, according to Wired.com.

The navy wants the new bullets to be 24 inches long and weigh around 20 to 30 pounds and reach more than 30 miles. The bullets that will be used by rail guns are expected to reach even 200 miles.

The Navy has spent $240 million trying to develop rail guns and the effort is facing increasing congressional opposition. The Navy estimates rail guns could be mounted on warships in the early 2020s.


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Thursday, 02 August 2012 02:37 PM
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