Mach 5 by 2020!

U.S. Navy

Jan. 28: A slug hits a target after being fired from an electromagnetic railgun at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va.

DAHLGREN, Va. — A futuristic weapon getting a trial run by the Navy demonstrated its destructive power at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren.

In the demonstration Thursday, engineers fired the electromagnetic railgun at what they said was a record power level: 10 megajoules.

The previous railgun power-use record was about 9 megajoules of muzzle energy.

• Click here to watch video of a railgun being fired.

Railguns use electromagnetic energy to launch projectiles long distances — more than 200 nautical miles.

Because the railgun uses electricity and not gunpowder to fire projectiles, it eliminates the possibility of explosions on ships.

The Navy hopes the railgun will eventually replace the standard 5-inch gun on its ships. The weapon isn't expected to be deployed until at least 2020.

[A joule is defined as the energy needed to produce one watt of electricity for one second.

The railgun tested Thursday actually has a capacity of 32 megajoules, but the Navy is slowly building up the energy level in a series of tests.

That's a lot of power, but with a new series of electrically-powered ships coming on line, the Navy figures generating capacity will not be a problem.

According to the Navy, the railgun, when fully developed, will be able to launch solid projectiles at Mach 5, or about 3,700 mph.]

• Click here for FOXNews.com's Patents and Innovation Center.

the Bomb!

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BOMB

M101/M101A1 105 mm Howitzer (Red is testable)

Marines from 11th Marines, 1st Marine Division fire a M101 105 mm Howitzer during the playing of taps at the Iwo Jima 60th Anniversary Commemorative on 26 March 2005.

Type Howitzer
Place of origin United States of America
Service history Used by United States of America, Australia, Canada, Croatia, Yougoslavia

Wars World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War

Production history
Manufacturer Rock Island Arsenal
Produced 1941
Variants M101A1, M101A2
Specifications
Weight 2 260 kg (4 980 lb)
Length 5.94 m (19.5 ft)
Barrel length 22 calibre: 2.31 m (7.58 ft)
Width 2.21 m (7.25 ft)
Height 1.73 m (5.66 ft)
Caliber 105 mm
Elevation -5' to +66'
Traverse 46'
Muzzle velocity 472 m/s (1 548 ft/s)
Maximum range 11 270 m (6.9 mi)

The 105 mm Howitzer M2A1 (M101) was the standard medium field howitzer for the U.S. in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theatres. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Japanese Imperial Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation for its accuracy and powerful punch. The M101 fired 105 mm H.E. semi-fixed ammunition and had a range of 11,200 m, making it suitable for supporting infantry. All these important qualities of the weapon, along with its widespread production, led to its adoption by many countries after the war. Its ammunition type also became the standard for many foreign countries' later models. After minor changes in the post war era, the howitzer became known as M101A1. It continued to see service in the Korean War and Vietnam War. Though a similar model, the M102 howitzer, shared the same roles in battle, it never fully replaced the M101. Today the 101A1 has been retired by the U.S. military, though it continues to see service with many other countries.

The Canadian Forces continued to use the M2A1 as the C1 Howitzer until 1997 when a modification was made to extend its service life. It is now designated the C3. Its improvements include a longer barrel, a muzzle brake, reinforced trails and the removal of shield flaps. It remains the standard light howitzer of Canadian reserve force units.

A number of M2/M101 howitzers were used by Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and approximately 50 were inherited by Croatia. Yugoslavia manufactured the M101 as the M56, and 100 of these were inherited by Croatia.

M2 Howitzers are still in service in the Australian Army Reserve, albeit in small numbers. They are gradually being replaced by L118 Light Gun and M198 Howitzers.

Also known as the M2A1 Howitzer.