The operational value of long range land attack EM guns to future naval forces

Abstract

The US Navy has been investigating the possibility of applying EML technology to long range ship-based land attack guns. EM guns offer the potential to extend naval fires to operationally significant ranges at costs markedly lower than present day missile or aircraft weapon systems. The US Navy has yet to commit significant investment in EM guns, but may do so in the future because of the increased emphasis on the land attack mission. The utility and feasibility of a long-range (over 300 nmi) naval EM gun has been investigated. It was determined that a naval system could be fielded in 20 to 30 years with a reasonable investment in fundamental research, followed by full scale gun development and platform integration. This paper answers the question "Why should a modern power projection navy make such an investment in EM gun development". The potential war fighting value of a naval EM gun system is discussed. Based on some notional performance parameters for an EM gun fieldable in the 2030 time-frame, conceptual employment schemes are outlined for attacking land targets from the sea in a manner that cannot be done today. The sensor and communications networks needed to realize the full utility of a long-range land attack EM gun is introduced. Second order implications of adopting EML as the primary naval gun technology is also discussed.