British Royal Navy to Test Directed Energy Weapon at sea, Participating in American Railgun Development

The UK Royal Navy (RN) plans to test a directed energy weapon at sea later this decade, the service's most senior officer has revealed.

Speaking at the DSEI 2015 exhibition on 15 September, Chief of Naval Staff and First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas also disclosed that RN exchange personnel are working on the US Navy's (USN's) Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun Innovative Naval Prototype (INP) programme.

"Energy weapons don't require conventional ammunition," Adm Zambellas told the DSEI audience. "With a cost-per-shot potentially measured in pence rather than pounds, they offer a route to address the spiralling costs of missile development and production, as well as reducing supply chain demands."

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