Railguns could drive another round of escort growth

In this forecast, crewed escorts remain near their present sizes or grow as hypersonic weapons and electromagnetic guns develop. Railguns are expected eventually to enter service, although their usefulness in a particular naval role remains an open question. Conventional guns retain an attractive cost per effect even in missile-centred fleets, and electromagnetic launch could increase the effect available. The assessment is that the technical obstacles can largely be overcome. Ryan McBeth is cited for the need to work out how the weapon fits naval doctrine. A specialist railgun ship and a weapon added to general-purpose frigates or destroyers imply different choices, with the latter potentially requiring more hull space for power generation and computing.