Passed mostly unobserved, the new discovery - if and when implemented - could radically change naval and air combat. According to what reported by USNI News in fact, during the 2018 summer during the RIMPAC naval exercise in the Pacific Ocean, the USS destroyer Dewey would be able to shoot 20 projectiles at hypervelocity from the cannon placed on the bridge.
The development of hypervelocal projectiles (HVP) was commissioned to the British BAE Systems by the US Department of Defense with the aim of providing a lethal weaponry system, maneuverable, fast and usable in large quantities by a vast series of armaments. The objectives vary according to the needs and the operational theater, and in the case of the USS Dewey, the main purpose was to test an efficient and efficient system against cruise missiles.
In fact, the US navy currently uses an expensive missile system present only in certain warships. While thanks to the success of this experiment, it will be possible to shoot the hypervelocal bullets (besides mach 7) from a greater number of ships and in larger quantities. The cannon in the USS Dewey in fact it is currently used in most American military ships, thus substantially increasing the navy's defensive capabilities against cruise missiles and similar threats.
Sources:
https://news.usni.org/2019/01/08/navy-quietly-fires-20-hyper-velocity-pr...
https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/hyper-velocity-projectile-hvp
(photo: US Navy)
