General Atomics has withdrawn a protest of the Navy’s decision earlier this year to award BAE Systems
the contract to build the next prototype of the electromagnetic railgun.
The Office of Naval Research in March selected BAE for the next phase of the railgun program and General Atomics subsequently lodged a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
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| BAE Systems railgun. Photo courtesy of ONR |
A ruling had been expected by the end of this month but the GAO’s website says General Atomics withdrew the protest April 29. General Atomics could not be reached for comment.
The electromagnetic (EM) railgun employs magnates powered by electrical pulses to launch projectiles at supersonic speeds rather than traditional propellants like gun powder. The railgun is intended for precision strikes deep inland, or for surface warfare and defense against anti-ship cruise missiles.
The Navy has been experimenting with the technology for years and hopes to eventually deploy EM railguns on surface combatants, possibly sometime in the mid-2020s.
Before the award the Navy had been evaluating prototype guns furnished by BAE and General Atomics at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va., as part of the first phase of the developmental program. The second phase is largely focused on increasing the firing rates, with a goal of 10 rounds per minute.