A Technical Assessment of Electromagnetic Propulsion for Small Caliber Weapons Applications

An assessment of the future potential of electromagnetic propulsion for small caliber weapons has been performed to consider possible benefits, systems configurations, research and development needs, and mission requirements. The assessment consists of a panel evaluation of an existing electromagnetic launcher EML program and comparisons of envisioned point designs for small caliber weapons systems. The general conclusions are that the present research effort is well-founded and that EM propulsion has a great deal of potential for a vehicle mounted, crew-served weapon. Although the potential improvements are significant, some risk in maturing the technology to a fielded weapon is accrued from the number and complexity of components in the EML system. Keywords: Rail guns; Electromagnetic guns; Electromagnetic launcher; Electromagnetic propulsion.