Navy photo of General Atomics launcher prototype at Dahlgren.

General Atomics’ version of the launcher is  being evaluated at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgen Division, according to the Office of Naval Research. The equipment was delivered in June. BAE Systems Inc. delivered the first prototype to the King George County base in January. Each of the companies is working on designs for the newest generation of Navy weapons. Railguns use a massive pulse of energy to propel a projectile along parallel rails at great speed. Testing has been underway at Dahlgren  since  2006. Here’s my most recent story on the project, and video of a test shot.