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BAE Systems - Naval Electromagnetic Railgun Prototype Fires First Shot [1080p]

A high speed projectile blasted at Mache 5 from the barrel of a gun with nothing more than an electrical pulse. Sounds like sci-fi, doesn't it? Not anymore.

Engineers at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va., successfully fired the first shot from the Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun prototype launcher, developed by BAE Systems on 28 Feb 2012. The test shot kicks off a two-month-long series of tests to evaluate the first industry-developed EM Railgun that will help bring the U.S. Navy a significant step closer to producing a next-generation, long-range weapon for surface ships.

"This is the first-ever shot from the world's first tactical Railgun. Unlike the laboratory launcher, this Railgun has the look and design of a gun that could potentially fit onboard a surface ship," said Dr. Amir Chaboki, BAE Systems' Program Manager for Advanced Systems. "This accomplishment is a result of great collaboration between BAE Systems and our industry partner, IAP Research, engineers, scientists and our government counterparts."

These tests will complete the first phase of a two-phase program to essentially invent an entirely new gun that will change the Navy forever. The second phase will focus on further developing the technology at a significant firing rate of 10 rounds per minute while implementing cooling and thermal management.

The EM Railgun technology uses high-power electromagnetic energy instead of explosive chemical propellants to propel a projectile farther and faster than any gun before it. When fully weaponized, the EM Railgun will deliver hypervelocity projectiles in support of Marines, ground forces and ship defense.

At full capability, the EM Railgun, mounted on U.S. Navy vessels, will be able to fire a projectile at 32-megajoules (MJ) approximately 110 nautical miles (204 km). The high-velocity projectile will destroy land, sea, and air targets using kinetic energy, rather than with conventional explosives.

"This event marks a monumental achievement for our company and the Office of Naval Research," said Mark Signorelli, BAE Systems Vice President and General Manager, Weapon Systems. "We are excited to work with the U.S. Navy to bring this revolutionary and game-changing capability to our Sailors and Marines."

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THE BAE -TANZANIA RADAR CASE -Tanzania Parliamentary intervation

Arms company BAE Systems today pleaded guilty at the City of Westminster magistrates court in London to minor charges of false accounting relating to its controversial sale of military radar equipment to Tanzania in 1999. The sale has been surrounded by allegations of corruption.

BAE and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which was investigating the corruption allegations, announced in February 2010 that they had reached a "plea bargain" settlement under which BAE would plead guilty to the accounting misdemeanours.

After BAE entered its guilty plea, District Judge Caroline Tubbs gave permission for the plea bargain settlement to be heard at the higher Southwark Crown Court on Monday 20 December.

At this unprecedented hearing, the judge, Mr Justice Bean, will be asked to confirm the final settlement.

The single criminal offence against BAE, presented by SFO lawyer Louis Mably, was brought under section 221 of the Companies Act 1985 concerning a corporation's "duty to keep accounting records". It states that British Aerospace Defence Systems Limited failed: "to keep accounting records which were sufficient to show and explain payments made pursuant to (a) a contract between Red Diamond Trading Limited and Envers Trading Corporation, (b) a further contract between British Aerospace (Operations) Limited and Merlin International Limited."

The SFO had been investigating allegations that BAE covertly channelled bribes through the Panama-registered Envers from its company, Red Diamond, to secure a contract in 1999 to supply Tanzania with a military radar system costing £28 million. (British Aerospace Defence Systems was a UK subsidiary of Siemens AG [Siemens Plessey Systems] that BAE acquired in April 1998 and renamed.)

The charge, however, is not being brought against this BAE subsidiary or its company officers, but against the ultimate parent company, BAE Systems Plc, for knowingly procuring the failure of this subsidary to keep accounting records: B.A.E Systems Plc, between 1st January 1999 and 31st December 2005, knowingly procured the failure of British Aerospace Defence Systems Limited to comply with the provisions of section 221 of the Companies Act 1985, and thereby aided and abetted, counselled and procured the commission of the offence contrary to section 221(5) of the Companies Act 1985 by the officers of British Aerospace Defence Systems Limited.

When asked how BAE pleaded to this charge, QC David Perry acting for BAE said simply "guilty", and declined to add anything further.

There was no mention by the SFO at the Magistrate's five-minute hearing of a request by The Corner House and Campaign Against Arms Trade to bring to the Court's attention the SFO's apparent undertaking as part of the plea bargain never to prosecute any individual in future if doing so involves alleging BAE Systems was guilty of corruption.

NOTES 1. Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) works for the reduction and ultimate abolition of the international arms trade together with progressive demilitarisation within arms producing countries. The Corner House aims to support democratic and community movements for environmental and social justice through analysis, research and advocacy. www.thecornerhouse.org.uk. The Serious Fraud Office is a UK government department that investigates and prosecutes complex fraud. It aims to contribute to "the delivery of justice and the rule of law. It has been investigating alleged bribery and corruption in BAE's deals in at least six countries since 2004. BAE Systems is one of the world's largest arms producers. It makes fighter aircraft, warships, tanks, armoured vehicles, artillery systems, missiles and munitions. Its foremost markets are Saudi Arabia and the United States. It has consistently denied any wrong-doing.