Earth Space Weaponry

[Milleniumlance]

guns work in Space, Bullets they carry their own oxidizer in the ROUND!

[immhotep]

i agree with the statement, we need offensive weapons however our ships are the most portected and fastest ships in our galaxy...so we do have something going for us.

[TjomasC]

I've often wondered why that the 304's have never had any sort of beam weaponry installed... then I realised, the rail guns probably do the same kind of damage.

On earth, they fire projectiles that can easily go at speeds of 3500 m/s. In space, with no gravity or air resitence, they'd travel most probably, twice as fast. That, and the fact that the energy weapons would take up vast amounts of the 304's power, which would deterioate something.

And suprisingly, I also read that the most effective rail gun was develped by the British Defence Research Agency... I'm wondering if thats why we didn't see them on the ships untill later seasons.

[Cory Holmes]

I've often wondered why that the 304's have never had any sort of beam weaponry installed... then I realised, the rail guns probably do the same kind of damage.

On earth, they fire projectiles that can easily go at speeds of 3500 m/s. In space, with no gravity or air resitence, they'd travel most probably, twice as fast. That, and the fact that the energy weapons would take up vast amounts of the 304's power, which would deterioate something.

Don't forget that rail guns can throw things other than bullets at you. Imagine a car-sized chunk of metal coming at you.

And suprisingly, I also read that the most effective rail gun was develped by the British Defence Research Agency... I'm wondering if thats why we didn't see them on the ships untill later seasons.

With railguns (or Gauss Guns, depending on the design) the problem is in the rails themselves. Hurling large chunks of metal is quite destructive on the rails themselves, and nobody has been able to invent something that'll survive more than one shot without warping. Compactability is another matter. Look at the size of the railguns used in Siege II. They're as small, if not a little smaller, than most modern-day artillery batteries, which is even more impressive when you consider how much electronics and technology go into them, not to mention the rounds themselves.

[CueBa'al]

I would recommend a page be taken from the navy's playbook. Mount some 16" railguns on the BC304, fixed forward if necessary (externally mounted package, etc).

Think about it: a full bore DU projectile, 2 meters long and travelling at the limit of relativistic speed, would slice through anything. The kind of energy delivered would be enough to end life on any chosen earthlike planet with a few well placed broadsides. Fired in an atmosphere, the projectile would ionize gasses behind it and trail a massive sonic boom (big enough to stop a beating heart). In front of the travelling projectile there would be a tremendous shockwave and radiation.

The projectile could also be made to contain a cavity for a nuclear/other payload. This would negate the need to use chemical rockets and missiles against capital ships and other well defended targets.

[DAL SHAKKA MEL]

What your describing sounds a lot like the MAC gun from Halo...

[immhotep]

interesting, its the first time someone has desribed exactly what having a larger rail gun calibre could mean, which by the sounds of it, is even more potent than a hatak cannon, against planets and assuminly unshields hive ships...

[Wraith Scientist]

What your describing sounds a lot like the MAC gun from Halo...

I love those MAC guns

"When I shipped out for Basic, the orbital defense grid was all theory and politics. Now look! The Cairo is just one of three hundred geosync platforms. That MAC gun can put a round clean through a Covenant capital ship" - Sgt Johnson, Halo 2

The MAC guns on halo used magnets rather than the lorentz force though, so technically, they're not railguns.

The weapons that the Earth ships have at the moment are really, really ineffective. The only thing that I can remember one of those railguns actually damaging is a Wraith dart. They desperately need some better weapons.

[Bragi]

Phasers..... we need phasers.

[tony]

yah that’s the thing I don’t really get yet.... the writers have to know that there really hasn’t been any episodes where a BC-303/BC-304 have gone up against a capital ship and with its armaments alone destroyed it. That in itself should show that our ships are lacking in the weapons area... even if they just write an episode where a BC-304 destroys a Ha'tak at least that would show that our weapons are some what effective. But at this point the only thing our ships are good for is blowing up or killing fighters (death gliders, Wraith Darts)

[immhotep]

well were ok against alkesh and cruisers as well. but your right we need a major space battle where missiles and rail guns take out a full hatak, personally id love to see a full on LA vs Tauri battle.perhaps with the odesey, deadalus and whatever new ship, im assuming athena becuase it said something aobut a certain war goddess in spoilers somewhere...which is awesome becasue ive always wanted that ship name going up against 4/5 hataks and winning.

[ancientaction]

we need Phasors, and magnets.
or, a phasmagnet

[Peoples_General]

well were ok against alkesh and cruisers as well. but your right we need a major space battle where missiles and rail guns take out a full hatak, personally id love to see a full on LA vs Tauri battle.perhaps with the odesey, deadalus and whatever new ship, im assuming athena becuase it said something aobut a certain war goddess in spoilers somewhere...which is awesome becasue ive always wanted that ship name going up against 4/5 hataks and winning.

Assuming your right about the Athena thing in S10... I hope this DSC-304 would be armed with energy weapons.

[CHEL NAK GUY]

What ever happened to that plasma cannon felger was working on in
Avenger 2.0, i know it got fried but they could fix it write, i mean carter does say in that ep that it could replace the weapons on the BC's

[immhotep]

they weapons on the BC 303 were replaced, with rail guns!