How the full railgun system will work: Researchers now hope to developa projectile that can be used in existing guns
Daily Mail: The US Navy 'Star Wars' weapon that can can fire missiles at three times the speed of sound from existing warship guns
* Warships carry dozens of conventional missiles, costing £600,000 each
* Could be loaded with hundreds of railgun projectiles at only £15,000 each
* Weapon uses speed rather than explosives to destroy its target
* Projectile has menacing Latin motto 'I, who am speed, eradicate'
A radical new weapon that can fire a shell at mach three and use existing warship guns is believed developed by the US Navy.
The new guided rounds were originally designed as part of the Navy's railgun project, which will fire them at mach 5 - but is not expected to be available until 2025.
However, Navy bosses now believe they can adapt the projectiles to be fired through normal guns - albeit at a slower Mach 3 speed.
WNU Editor: These new shells/missiles appear to be just a transitional weapon until the railguns come on line in 2025. It looks impressive.