More than anything, the ambition of the military's top scientists has to be admired. From advanced remote-controlled robots to sonic cannons to laser beams, weaponized combat is starting to look less like Call of Duty and more like the
Halo franchise. Now, the U.S. Navy is taking a bold step into the explosive future with electricity, or more specifically, massive electromagnetic railguns.
Wired UK and
Gizmag bring news that BAE Systems' multi-year EM railgun project is finally in more advanced testing stages, with a brand-new prototype that can fire a payload more than eight times faster than the speed of sound. For context, Wired UK tells it to us in impressive-yet-frightening numerical detail.