In the near future,  US Navy ships will not use explosive cannons. They will destroy targets  100 miles away with the monster 33-megajoules railgun in the video. In the words of Rear Admiral Nevin P. Carr: This "really changes several games."
Right now, Navy railguns could only reach targets 13 miles away. The new railgun reaches any target 100 miles away in six minutes  using 33-megajoules of energy, an unprecedented tactical advantage over  conventional weaponry like cannons and cruise missiles. To give you an  idea of the magnitude of the impact, a megajoule is "roughly equivalent  to a 1-ton car traveling at 100 mph." Imagine the effect on a target.
According to the program manager at the Office of Naval Research,  Roger Ellis, the gun will eventually reach enemy vehicles and structures  200 miles away with perfect accuracy, using a GPS-based targeting  system. Ellis also says that "eliminating explosives from the ship,  which brings significant safety benefits and logistical benefits." They  just need a constant source of energy in the ship, like diesel engines  or a nuclear reactor.
In other words, war has just become greenerer and fasterer and more destructiverer than ever.
 
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