Q&A ยท 1:14:01-1:14:48

Why railguns are unlikely to revive nuclear shells

A technical caution about combining a sensitive nuclear package with the launch environment of a railgun.

Question

Could railguns bring back nuclear artillery shells?

Short answer

The idea is treated sceptically because protecting a nuclear package from the railgun's electrical and electromagnetic environment would compound difficulties already faced by guided rounds.

Notes

The objection concerns placing a nuclear package in the intense electrical and electromagnetic environment of a railgun launch. Guided rounds already need protection for their electronics. A nuclear shell would add a more consequential survivability problem, leading to scepticism about reviving the concept. This is a survivability concern, rather than proof of technical impossibility.