Modern Main Battle Tanks ( MBT )

FORBIN · Feb 19, 2016

Wolf, for rail guns you know the main problem, requires a lot of power and need big platform and right now or soon possible on a ships, big aircraft but combat vehicles ?

But with actual gun ( and sheels with powder ) seems impossible get a speed superior to 1800 m/sec ?

Despite this a more big gun 130/150 mm with more big shells weight up to ~ 45 kg vs about 25 for a 120 mm, a difference... and with this more big/heavy shell which get a stronger impact.even if it does not pierce the shield can crack the shield after several shots eventualy and strongly shaken crew also in more damaged active systems etc...

What you think TE

TerraN_EmpirE · Feb 20, 2016

BAE systems.contemplated offering a rail gun to the US Army on a Bradley chassis, if there are breakthroughs in battery and power technologies sure rail tanks. But as is today the only way you could do it would be to power it with a micro Nuclear Reactor... And mounting that on a tank brings fears of micro Chernobyl's.
Its all about power supply vs mobility. You could build a tank the size of the NASA transporter crawler but it would be impossible to get to the fight.

FORBIN · Mar 1, 2016

South Korea, K1A1 and Indonesia Léopard 2 Revolution

FORBIN · Mar 4, 2016

USMC M1A1 in Norway

solarz · Mar 4, 2016

FORBIN said:
Wolf, for rail guns you know the main problem, requires a lot of power and need big platform and right now or soon possible on a ships, big aircraft but combat vehicles ?

Isn't the problem with rail guns that the gun destroys itself with each shot?

TerraN_EmpirE · Mar 4, 2016

Not each shot, the old rule was about 10 shots then it's cooked.
The head of the ONR says they have managed about a 400 shots from the same rails and are working to better that. optimally you want to be able to fire a few thousand before replacement.
And no that is not a unique issue to railguns. Conventional barrels overheat and erode to.