Railgun
A railgun is a device that uses electromagnetic repulsion to accelerate a projectile. Currently the United States military is looking into the use of railguns as naval weapons, although it will be some time before the first railguns are mounted aboard a US navy ship.
Einhander is notable for being an avid fan of this technology.
Railguns in Science Fiction
Railguns are common weapons in science fiction; a few notable examples follow...
- In the current television series Battlestar Galactica, railguns are the Primary anti-ship and point-defense weapons of the Galactica, as well as being the standard weapons of Colonial and Cylon fighter craft.
- In the Stargate universe, rapid fire railguns are used by the United States as point defense weapons starting some time before the second season of Stargate: Atlantis, used both as ship-mounted weapons and as towed AA emplacements (distingishable by blue tracers).