naval

If you want to know how the U.S. Navy's futuristic electromagnetic railgun works, you could hop on over to the information page on the Office of Naval Research's Web site. Or you could watch a monotone Taiwanese animation.

If you're not familiar with the railgun, it's a favorite Navy project that is intended to be able to launch a 5-inch projectile more than 100 miles without the use of traditional explosives. Using a complex system that forces the projectile out of a ship-bound gun at more than 4,500 miles, the Navy hopes to be … Read more

The U.S. Navy says it has tested one of two prototypes of its futuristic electromagnetic railgun, a weapon that could fire a 5-inch projectile up to 100 miles, yet which requires no explosives to fire.

The Office of Naval Research is evaluating competing railguns--one from BAE Systems, and one from General Atomics. Yesterday, ONR announced it has completed a successful test of BAE's model, and the Navy is expected to test-fire General Atomics' offering sometime in April.

"The firing at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division...kicks off a two-month-ling test series by [ONR] to evaluate the … Read more

Steve Jobs, as a fan outside a San Francisco Apple store last night said, "was kind of like this generation's John Lennon."

And just as the Beatles in some way influenced every popular band of the day, so too has Jobs influenced all good entrepreneurs--even though many of today's founders might not realize it.

Jobs, above all, was the tech industry's biggest advocate for the consumer. He hated buttons on devices. He even hated corners. He was tech's leading advocate of simplicity. And that demand--"make it simple"--is one of the … Read more

JOPPA, Md.--I'll just say it now: I am not a fan of Interstate 95.

Since 2006, I've spent part of each summer driving around regions of the United States, working on stories about a wide variety of destinations related to aviation, the military, technology, science, nature, and more. This is my annual Road Trip project, and right now, I'm a little more than a week into Road Trip 2010.

In the past, I've covered the Pacific Northwest (in 2006); the Southwest (in 2007); the Southeast (in 2008); and the Rocky Mountain region (in 2009). All … Read more

ANNAPOLIS, Md.--With a grin, the plebe candidate approached Station 18, the last one before he'd hand over his freedom.

The good nature wasn't returned. Enjoy that grin, the cadre member's scowl seemed to say. "This is your last chance to smile, big guy."

This was I-Day at the United States Naval Academy: Induction Day. The day that 1,247 brand-new, mostly fresh out of high school wanna-be Navy officers showed up at this august school on the banks of the confluence of Chesapeake Bay and the Severn River. Bright eyed and bushy tailed, as … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--Each summer for the last four years, I've been lucky enough to get to pick a region of the country and spend several weeks driving around, writing stories and taking photos of some of the best geek-oriented destinations I could find.

In 2006, it was the Pacific Northwest. In 2007, the Southwest. In 2008, it was the Southeast. And in 2009, I traveled through almost the entire Rocky Mountain and Continental Divide region. Over the four years, I've covered 18,528 miles and visited dozens of the most interesting research labs, military bases, aviation facilities, NASA centers, … Read more

The U.S. Navy has completed testing on a new automated ship crane that can safely perform ship-to-ship cargo transfer while at sea and compensate for surging waves, eliminating the need for a secure deep-water port in emergency or combat situations.

The Large Vessel Interface Lift On/Lift Off (LVI Lo/Lo) Crane can also facilitate standard supply transfer to ships in choppy seas. Developed by the Sea Warfare and Weapons Department in the Office of Naval Research along with Oceaneering International, the crane has sensors and cameras as well as motion-sensing algorithms that let it automatically shift with the … Read more

Battle of Midway is a one-player iPhone adaptation of the popular "Battleship" guessing game (and the iconic Milton Bradley game of the same name).

Gameplay closely mirrors the analog version, with you and an opponent (an enemy AI, in this case) secretly placing rectangular ships on a 10-by-10 grid, which you can do manually or automatically. You then take turns guessing the location of each other's ships by firing at specific squares, and Battle of Midway has both "volley" and "salvo" modes (either fire until you miss or fire once for each of … Read more

The U.S. Navy may have developed a solution to hull-dwelling barnacles and slime--a "foul" problem that has plagued sailors and their ships since Noah launched the ark.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has developed what looks like a combination pressure washer/minisub called the Hull Bio-inspired Underwater Grooming, or Hull BUG. It's designed to prevent or suppress the growth and build-up of nuisance marine growths such as barnacles--also known as biofouling (PDF).

This could be a major breakthrough. High-performance warships and submarines rely on a clean hull for speedy acceleration and hydroacoustic stealth--things that crustaceans … Read more