Navy tests rail gun • Hacker News Board

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#31

Post by aet » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:30 PM UTC

edgarallenbro wrote: post #24

$25,000 for a single projectile is "affordable"? Why do I feel like I'm living in a madhouse?

1 Tomahawk missile is approximately $500k (and up)

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#32

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:31 PM UTC

edgarallenbro wrote: post #24

$25,000 for a single projectile is "affordable"? Why do I feel like I'm living in a madhouse?

[deleted]

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#33

Post by JoeAltmaier » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:32 PM UTC

edgarallenbro wrote: post #24

$25,000 for a single projectile is "affordable"? Why do I feel like I'm living in a madhouse?

A single-use anti-tank weapon costs $50,000, and worth every penny if you're the infantryman and the tank is heading toward you. Its dirt cheap at the cost, considering the price of a tank.

Same for the railgun. They are shooting at million-dollar targets.

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#34

Post by loceng » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:33 PM UTC

edgarallenbro wrote: post #24

$25,000 for a single projectile is "affordable"? Why do I feel like I'm living in a madhouse?

$2,000 + $23,000 military-industrial complex fee.

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#35

Post by hawleyal » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:34 PM UTC

There is no one to shoot.

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#36

Post by mkr-hn » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:35 PM UTC

edgarallenbro wrote: post #24

$25,000 for a single projectile is "affordable"? Why do I feel like I'm living in a madhouse?

$25,000 to tear another ship apart at 7 times the speed of sound is a bargain.

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#37

Post by Qworg » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:35 PM UTC

edgarallenbro wrote: post #24

$25,000 for a single projectile is "affordable"? Why do I feel like I'm living in a madhouse?

In comparison to a million dollar missile? Yes.

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#38

Post by chiph » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:36 PM UTC

dm2 wrote: post #6

This is the type of ship that it will be mounted on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spearhead-class_Joint_High_Spee... I always assumed it would be put on a Littoral class ship. I'm guessing that the ship is going to be dedicated to this weapon and that's why it wasn't put on a carrier or LCS for testing. How is it going to be powered? Will it have it's own dedicated nuclear reactor and a huge array of capacitors? I wo…

How is it going to be powered?

If the ship can't provide enough power, they'll probably just put some diesel generators in the cargo area.

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#39

Post by iliis » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:37 PM UTC

Can somebody please add a warning that there's an autoplaying video? It's a bit awkward if your phone suddenly starts talking about guns when your standing in line in a bank :/

Edit: A video tag would be nice in general for mobile users.

Re: Navy tests rail gun

#40

Post by chao- » Tue, Apr 08, 2014, 1:37 PM UTC

edgarallenbro wrote: post #24

$25,000 for a single projectile is "affordable"? Why do I feel like I'm living in a madhouse?

In terms of Defense budgets, that is indeed affordable.

Expenses for Exploration and Production (i.e. upstream oil & gas) operate on similar orders of magnitude.