Kanohi-Long - Hobbyist | DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Railguns are Obsolete!

Mar 6, 2024

If you have been keeping up with the news about the prototype tank developed by General Dynamics, the AbramsX, you may have noticed that its main gun looks a little different than the one currently being used on the M1A2 Abrams. The AbramsX uses what is called an ETC cannon. ETC stands for ElectroThermal-Chemical. Basically, it's a normal gun with conventional propellent used to fire rounds with the difference being that it uses plasma-based induction (plasma cartridges) rather than a spark from a firing pen to fire the projectile. Plasma-induction has many times the ignition power of a spark from a firing pen since it has more energy. This ensures that the rounds are fired consistently with precision and no deviation since the powder is being ignited evenly inside the shell. Plasma-induction, most amazingly, can fire rounds at speeds and powers comparable to a railgun. This makes it a practical and better alternative to a railgun since it requires less expensive hardware and requires