NPS Railgun Lab Award-Winning Research by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Huy Tonthat Naval Postgraduate School
February 1, 2021
Since its establishment approximately two years ago, the Naval
Postgraduate School's Railgun Laboratory – the largest of any
academic institution – has empowered students and faculty with the
facilities to conduct advanced, applied research in hypervelocity
projectile (HVP) technology. But advanced technologies aren’t the
only result … In fact, the lab has quickly become a critical asset
in equipping alumni to be enduring technological leaders in the HVP
space, ready to make an immediate impact in the fleet after
graduation.
Two of these alumni leaders are Dr. Ben McGlasson,
NPS' Electric Weapons Advisor and Railgun Laboratory lead, and Lt.
Paul Cross, the Naval Strike Missile Lead Military Engineer at Naval
Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD).
McGlasson,
who just completed his PhD in Applied Physics at NPS furthering
railgun research – a technology that uses Gun Launched Guided
Projectiles for anti-air and surface missions – also helped
commission the NPS Railgun Lab in 2018. He used the lab's initial
research results to establish credibility for its simulations
positioning the Railgun Lab today to successfully explore the
challenges associated with electric weapons.
“The railgun
research that we do here is not only for student projects or
learning purposes,” said McGlasson. “We’re executing experiments
sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, collaborating with a
variety of research labs and universities. The discoveries that we
make [at the Railgun Lab] would improve any kind of gun-based
defense, which is a new approach to doing shipboard missile defense
using guns instead of missiles to defend against missiles. Using
guns to defend against those kind of threats helps preserve our own
missiles for a higher-end threat. This would be in addition to the
surface strike mission, in which the railguns being tested at
Dahlgren and White Sands can reach over 100 nautical miles.”
This image shows three photographs taken from a high-speed video camera during a record-setting firing of an electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Virginia
on January 31, 2008 ... firing at 10.64MJ (megajoules) with a muzzle velocity of 2520 meters per second. (Image created by USA Patriotism! from U.S. Navy photos by John Williams.)
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McGlasson noted that railguns will benefit from continued research
and that he hopes the Railgun Lab will continue to help faculty and
students conduct that research.
As for Cross, a 2018 NPS alumnus, he put his education to
immediate use at NSWCDD and was recently awarded the C.J. Rorie
Award for his impact on the Navy’s Gun Launched Guided Projectile
program at the warfare center in Dahlgren, Va. The Rorie Award –
named in honor of retired Rear Admiral C. J. Rorie, a former warfare
center commander and NPS alumnus– recognizes excellence in
performance of military personnel who contribute significantly to
the effectiveness of the division’s operations.
According to
command officials, Cross was recognized for outstanding leadership
in the Gun Launched Guided Projectile effort leading a successful
fielding of a guided projectile.
“I was able to work with some amazing scientists
and engineers at Dahlgren,” said Cross. “The people and technology
that are present here [in Dahlgren] are definitely world class. My
time at NPS and my thesis research there made for an easier
transition to the work at Dahlgren.”
Prior to being a
technological leader at NSWCDD, Cross' NPS research focused on how
electromagnetic contacts coated with carbon nanontubes (CNT) could
be applied to modern day weapon technology. Cross conducted his NPS
thesis research at the NPS Railgun Lab, albeit while it was still
under construction.
While the burgeoning Railgun Lab enabled
Cross’ research, NPS’ multidisciplinary education prepared him to
apply it, and to be a critical thinker and leader in the field.
“NPS prepared me by educating me into the science, technology,
and real-world applications for which I have been working,” said
Cross. “In addition to a fundamental grasp of the scientific
principles, I also received a bedrock foundation of how federal
acquisition regulations work, and the systems engineering courses
also taught me the fundamental principles of how the ‘system of
systems’ work together to bring a new capability to the fleet and
warfighter.
"All of this enabled me to hit the ground
running in [Dahlgren] and understand the avenues a program can take
to get capability to the warfighters as fast as possible," continued
Cross.
Whether developing railgun technology at NPS or
NSWCDD, Cross agreed with McGlasson that railguns are appearing to
be a more cost-efficient warfighting capability.
“Railgun and
HVP technology would allow for far cheaper options to counter
adversarial threats,” said Cross. “When you look at engagements, the
cost per engagement becomes an issue that must be addressed for
protracted conflicts. The logistics of having the depth of fire with
HVPs, operating at their maximum capability, on shooting platforms
starts to become extremely attractive.”
From the new Railgun
Lab to the traditional classroom, Cross expressed that he’s the
perfect example of how NPS can transform its military officer
students into innovative leaders who can respond to emerging
military needs.
"The science, curriculum and personal
experiences [at NPS] are unmatched," said Cross. "What I learned via
the curricula, faculty and my fellow students positioned me to lead,
excel, and make an immediate impact after graduation."
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