In last week's test fire, it achieved a record-breaking muzzle velocity of Mach 8.That's enough to launch its solid warhead up to 125 miles away, and deliver 32 megajoules on impact.

Next, the navy plans to get the mega-gun onto ships: "The 33-megajoule shot means the Navy can fire projectiles at at least 110 nautical miles, placing sailors and marines at a safe standoff distance and out of harm's way," said Nevin Carr, chief of Naval Research at the Office of Naval Research, which provides science and technology to the US Navy and Marine Corps. "This demonstration moves us one day closer to getting this advanced capability to sea," Nevin said in a press release.

According to the Daily Mail, scientists believe technology will almost double the power of the gun by 2025, "enabling it to send a bullet 200 miles in 6 minutes".

Compared to a steam catapult, the railgun catapult is much smaller, more efficient, simpler to maintain, gentler on airframes, and can deliver up to 30% more power. It's also capable of being cranked down a whole bunch, meaning that it can also launch smaller (and more fragile) unmanned drones.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Materials Testing Facility announced that it has fired its electromagnetic railgun 1000 times and reached a materials testing milestone toward the deployment on warships.

The Navy railgun is rumored to accelerated a 7-pound projectile to a speed of 2.4 km/s or 5400 mph.....A projectile could reach a target 290 miles away in less than 6 minutes and impact it with massive force.