Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Hypervelocity Projectile: Background and Issues for Congress
Congressional Research Service
The US Navy is developing three potential new weapons that could improve the ability of itssurface ships to defend themselves against enemy missiles—solid state lasers (SSLs), the electromagnetic railgun (EMRG), and the hypervelocity projectile (HVP).Any one of these new weapon technologies, if successfully developed and deployed, might be regarded as a “game changer” for defending Navy surface ships against enemy missiles.