US Navy railgun: how it works

Engineers have fired the first of two industry-built electromagnetic railgun (EM Railgun) prototype launchers for the US Navy at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. The EM Railgun launcher uses magnetic fields created by strong electric currents to accelerate a sliding metal conductor, or armature, between two rails to launch projectiles at up to 5,600 miles per hour. The launcher was made by BAE Systems. A launcher built by General Atomics is scheduled for delivery in April. Source: US Navy via MSNBC, Magnet Lab, World of Defense

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