The U.S. Navy has confirmed previous plans to deploy its futuristic weapon--the electromagnetic railgun--on board one of it ships next year.

The deployment of the railgun on board the as yet unspecified naval vessel will commence sea trials stage for this weapon the Navy says will change the face of future sea warfare. This sea test will mark the first time an electromagnetic railgun has been demonstrated at sea, and is a significant advance in naval combat.

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It follows successful land trials of the prototype that achieved breakthroughs in compact power and gun design. The Navy said it will test the next phase of prototype at both sea- and land-based sites in 2016 and 2017.

Once deployed in force by the next decade, the railgun will place at a serious disadvantage and may obsolete the surface naval forces of the U.S.' strategic competitors such as China.

The Navy will publicly display the futuristic weapon that uses electromagnetic energy to kill its targets for the first time from Feb. 4-5 at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology (S&T) EXPO in Washington, D.C.

The expo is a window into the future of the U.S. Navy, showcasing the latest advances in power projection and force protection.

"The electromagnetic railgun is among several disruptive capabilities that the Naval Research Enterprise is championing to ensure a dominant, capable and relevant naval force for the future," said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Mat Winter.

He added this year's expo will showcase the naval portfolio of innovative breakthrough technologies that are shaping the U.S. Navy's warfighting tactics and changing the way it will fight in the future.

The Navy describes its electromagnetic railgun as a long-range weapon that fires projectiles using electricity instead of chemical propellants. Magnetic fields created by the railgun launch projectiles at 4,500 mph towards targets 110 miles away or beyond the horizon.

The Navy expects that with its increased velocity and extended range, the railgun will give its warships a multi-mission capability, allowing them to conduct precise naval surface fire support or land strikes; ship defense and surface warfare.

A launch velocity of Mach 6 allows the railgun's projectiles to rely on kinetic energy for maximum effect, and reduces the amount of high explosives needed to be carried on ships.

A guided projectile is launched from a railgun at such high velocities it can achieve greater ranges than conventional guns. It maintains enough kinetic energy that it doesn't require any kind of high explosive payload when it reaches its target. The target such a warship is destroyed by massive kinetic impact.

"The electromagnetic railgun represents an incredible new offensive capability for the U.S. Navy," said Rear Adm. Bryant Fuller, the Navy's chief engineer. "This capability will allow us to effectively counter a wide-range of threats at a relatively low cost, while keeping our ships and sailors safer by removing the need to carry as many high-explosive weapons."