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"  BREAKING NEWS ON THE LATEST NAVY TECH * PLUS: From Periscopes to Mine Bots, The Navy&amp;#039;s Holiday Wish List  * ANALYSIS: 4 Challenges as More Unmanned Drones Go Underwater   The Navy is developing new weapons and sensors that demand large amounts of electrical power, but it is not clear that future ships will have the juice. Current ships use most of their energy to run engines, so some weapons being developed would need new ships.  Two promising but power-intensive systems are an electromagnetic rail gun that could launch a kinetic shell hundreds of miles at speeds approaching Mach 7 and an ongoing laser program that in 2010 will build a 100-kw free-electron laser that could destroy small boats, aircraft or missiles. The Navy recently canceled all-electric DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers that could switch power from propulsion to weapons as needed. Instead, older Arleigh Burke designs (in photo) with less available power will be built. Three already ordered Zumwalts will likely serve as trailblazers, but widespread deployment of the advanced systems is now less certain.  RELATED STORIES * PLUS: From Periscopes to Mine Bots, The Navy&amp;#039;s Holiday Wish List  * ANALYSIS: 4 Challenges as More Unmanned Drones Go Underwater  * VIDEO: The Navy Tries Out Its New 6500 MPH Rail Gun  * EARLIER: U.S. Navy Hopes Free Electron Laser Will Help Defend Ships  * TECH WATCH: 4 Ways the Navy Will Stop the New Pirate Threat   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a12213/4294099/>