[lttlrck]

"Hey world! Look what we're building - we're not afraid of you or our failures!"

It's a very strong message. It's also propaganda, to control the narrative, distract and deceive.

Maybe they already know it's a dead end, or this is a test bed for something else. The cancelled rail-gun seemed like a giant materials science project, but maybe the Navy got _exactly_ what they needed.

[dividedbyzero]

If they aren't afraid of the world, why build such weapons?

[dxdm]

Could it be that they aren't afraid _because_ they have superior weapons, and want to keep that edge? The world still appears to be a scary place when others may assume that you can't defend yourself.