How Fast Is Railgun Projectile?

The US Navy's railgun fires projectiles at 2,500 m/s — Mach 7. The kinetic energy is 100× a rifle round; range is 180 km. Programme officially shelved in 2021 due to power and barrel-wear challenges, but research continues.

Railguns work by accelerating a conductive projectile along two parallel rails using powerful electromagnetic forces — no chemical propellant is involved at all.

• Mach 7
• 100× the kinetic energy of a rifle round