Weapons

Navy May Install Railgun for Zumwalt-Class Destroyer

The railgun, along with laser weaponry, are two futuristic technologies that Fanta said have evolved from being a matter of scientific research to one of practical engineering.

The Navy is interested in those weapons -- along with smart munitions that can improve existing naval guns -- because of their low cost as well as lethality.

"The Navy is determined to increase the offensive punch of the surface warships," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute. "To do that with a limited budget, it needs to look at everything from smart munitions to railguns to lasers."