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AllAfrica
a day ago
- Science
- AllAfrica
China reloads railgun ambitions as Japan tests and US powers down
China's radical new 'X-rail gun' aims to fire 60-kilo slugs at Mach 7 speeds, raising the stakes in a railgun race where Beijing doubles down, Tokyo hedges bets and Washington taps out. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese army scientists led by Professor Lyu Qingao of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Army Engineering University have proposed a novel electromagnetic weapon design that could significantly enhance rail gun performance. Their 'X-rail gun' concept cross-stacks two U-armatures vertically within a shared 200mm-square barrel, creating a dual-circuit system that harnesses 'vertical fields that ignore each other' to mitigate electromagnetic interference. Filed as a patent last year, the design aims to accelerate a 60kg shell to Mach 7—delivering impacts at over Mach 4—potentially striking targets 400km away within six minutes. While still untested in live-fire conditions and facing challenges from proximity effect complications in tight conductor paths, the concept builds upon proven tech to overcome limitations in shell weight, bore pressure and barrel erosion. Unlike the navy's earlier rail gun prototype spotted on a Type 072 destroyer in 2018—which struggled with extreme current damage and capped shell weights at 15 kilograms—the army's configuration represents a rare leap forward. It also contrasts sharply with the US decision to end its rail gun program in 2021 and Japan's cautious testing of 300-gram electromagnetic prototypes. Asia Times has previously noted that Japan deployed a prototype electromagnetic railgun aboard the test ship JS Asuka. Developed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA), it fires projectiles at Mach 6.5 using electromagnetic energy, sidestepping the cost and magazine limitations of missile-based systems. The weapon offers high-volume, rapid-fire potential but still faces hurdles, including barrel erosion, power supply miniaturization and fire control integration. ATLA mentions that Japan envisions its railgun to counter hypersonic missiles as part of a multi-layered air defense suite. It also notes the system can mount hard-to-avoid strikes against ships or land targets, with its hypersonic muzzle velocity and extended range making it difficult to intercept. In contrast, the US halted its Electromagnetic Railgun (EMRG) project for multiple reasons. An April 2022 US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report mentions that it suffers from poor durability, with barrel lifespans rarely exceeding 100 rounds, in contrast to conventional artillery's thousands. The report notes that its large pulse power sources—up to ten times heavier than comparable cannons—render it incompatible with mobile platforms. It also states that it lacks rifling, reducing accuracy, and remains vulnerable to even near-miss attacks due to delicate electronics. The report adds that EMRG efficiency remains below 30%, demanding massive power supplies. Coupled with high costs and diminished artillery relevance in missile-dominated warfare, these factors ultimately undermined its viability. The diverging paths taken by China, Japan, and the US reflect broader uncertainty about railgun utility in modern combat. Whether next-gen railgun systems can provide missile-like firepower at artillery costs without turning vulnerable warships into prime targets remains in question. Stew Magnusson, in a June 2025 article in National Defense Magazine, notes that a railgun projectile, traveling at hypersonic speeds without any explosives, could cause severe damage. For instance, ATLA demonstrated how one could penetrate a ship's hull and exit the other side. Alan Kuperman, in an April 2021 working paper for the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project (NPPP), notes that railguns could significantly reduce ammunition costs, with a $25,000 projectile being vastly cheaper than multi-million-dollar interceptors or anti-ship missiles. In line with Kuperman's statements, Matt Bruzzese and Peter Singer state in a March 2024 Defense One article that these weapons aim to combine the extended range and precision of missiles and rockets with the affordability of traditional artillery. Bruzzese and Singer note that this could transform the cost dilemma faced by modern militaries, where even effective systems become prohibitively expensive or overwhelmed by large numbers of cheaper enemy weapons. They point out that US forces near Yemen use interceptor missiles that cost at least three orders of magnitude more than the drones they target. Still, Braden Allenby cautions in a January 2022 Stars and Stripes article that the technology is much less developed than conventional guns or missiles. While railguns can theoretically offer superior firepower, the technology is not yet mature. Allenby adds that it may be reasonable for major powers to rely on missiles in the short term while investing in railguns for the long term. Mounting them presents a logistical challenge. These weapons may require large warships like cruisers or destroyers capable of supporting their size, weight, cooling, and power needs, concentrating capability on a limited number of potentially vulnerable platforms. James Stavridis, in an October 2024 Washington Post article, highlights this vulnerability. He mentions that Ukraine's crippling of Russia's Black Sea Fleet—including the sinking of the cruiser Moskva by drones and missiles—underscores the growing susceptibility of large surface warships to cheap, precise unmanned systems. He points out that despite lacking a navy, Ukraine has knocked out a third of Russia's fleet, forcing it to retreat from coastal operations, with these attacks, echoed by Houthi strikes in the Red Sea, highlighting a paradigm shift in naval warfare. He adds that ships now face swarms of inexpensive drones, which deplete their missile stockpiles. While future defenses may rely on lasers or possibly railguns, he notes, warships remain exposed in an evolving battlefield dominated by asymmetric threats. Sidharth Kaushal, in a March 2023 European Security and Defense (ESD) article, acknowledges the rising threat from proliferating anti-ship missiles, including cruise, ballistic, and hypersonic types, but emphasizes that modern warships are not defenseless. While fast, long-range missiles strain reaction times and impose severe cost asymmetries, he argues that their effectiveness is limited by complex kill chains, targeting challenges, and physical constraints. He notes that cueing long-range weapons, such as China's DF-21D or Russia's Zircon, requires persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), real-time data relay, and multi-platform coordination—vulnerable to disruption. He adds that shipboard defenses like Aegis, layered interceptors, decoys, and electronic warfare—and railguns, should the technology mature—offer credible protection, though saturation attacks pose risks. Despite no promise of invulnerability, he points out, a missile has yet to sink any modern air defense warship on alert. Whether railguns revolutionize warfare or remain lab-bound curiosities, China, Japan and the US are gambling on very different answers to the same battlefield question.
AllAfrica
02-07-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
Japan's railgun strikes at China's hypersonic shadow
Japan's prototype ship-mounted railgun marks a bold step toward fast, affordable missile defense as it works to fill crucial gaps revealed by China's hypersonic weapons and limited interceptor supplies. This month, The War Zone (TWZ) reported that Japan has fitted the test warship JS Asuka with a prototype electromagnetic railgun, marking a significant step toward deploying this advanced weapon system, as confirmed by recent online photos. In June, observers spotted the railgun – similar to a previous land-based prototype developed by the Japanese Ministry of Defense's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) – in port with its protective shroud removed, revealing internal work underway. Maritime testing is expected before the end of July. Japan's progress contrasts with the US Navy's discontinued efforts in the early 2020s following sustained technical setbacks. The 6,200-ton Asuka accommodates containerized power systems to manage the energy demands of the railgun, which reportedly propels projectiles at Mach 6.5 using five megajoules of charge. ATLA aims to reduce power requirements while improving barrel longevity beyond the current 120-round lifespan. The initiative aligns with future deployment plans aboard 13DDX destroyers and Maya-class vessels to bolster defenses against hypersonic threats. Officials at the DSEI Japan 2025 defense and security equipment international forum cited continued collaboration with US counterparts and noted growing interest from France, Germany, China and Turkey in similar technologies. Japan's railgun ambitions reflect a strategic pivot to cost-effective, rapid-fire capabilities amid intensifying regional competition. Asia Times previously noted that the railgun's cost-effective ability to engage lower-tier threats helps reduce dependency on high-value interceptors, enabling sustained defenses against saturation missile attacks. Underscoring China's growing missile capabilities, Maki Nakagawa notes in a March 2025 article for the Japan Institute for National Fundamentals (JINF) that China has expanded five conventional brigades equipped with DF-17 hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and CJ-10/100 cruise missiles capable of striking Japan. Nakagawa highlights that the DF-17's unpredictable trajectory and the CJ-100's low-altitude, supersonic profile challenge Japan's ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems. She adds that satellite imagery has confirmed construction at brigade-size facilities since 2018, with the 655th Brigade converted to a DF-17 unit in 2024. She states that the DF-26 intermediate-range missile, now fielded by four nuclear-capable brigades, has replaced older DF-21A units. Japan currently employs a two-tier missile defense system, with Aegis-equipped destroyers providing midcourse interception and Patriot batteries handling terminal defense. However, Kyodo News reported in October 2022 that Japan had only 60% of the necessary interceptor missiles for its Aegis and Patriot systems to counter threats from North Korea and China. To address the shortfall, Stars and Stripes reported in February 2025 that Japan purchased 150 SM-6 missiles worth USD 900 million from the US. Naval News reported in April 2025 that Japan proposed co-producing SM-6 interceptors for Aegis destroyers during talks with the United States, expanding on an earlier agreement to co-produce Patriot PAC-3 missiles. Yet, SM-6 production remains uncertain. Naval News reported in June 2025 that the US Navy's FY2026 missile procurement depended on passing a Republican-led reconciliation budget bill. The report said a funding shortfall in the proposed $817.4 million budget would trigger a contract breach, halting production after only 10 units. It added that disruption would jeopardize foreign orders from Japan, Australia, and South Korea. The bill, which had originated in the House of Representatives, passed the Senate on Tuesday. The report warned that such a scenario would undercut allied deterrence and expose vulnerabilities in integrated air and missile defense architectures. Former US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) director John Hill, cited by TWZ in February 2022, said that while the SM-6 is the only US interceptor theoretically capable of defeating hypersonic missiles, its capability remains 'nascent.' Meanwhile, the successor Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) program faces delays. Defense News reported in March 2025 that the GPI, initially scheduled for deployment by 2032, now faces a three-year delay due to early program down-selection and reduced funding, pushing delivery to at least 2035. Andreas Schmidt, writing in Military Review in 2024, added that most hypersonic threats fly at altitudes between 20 and 60 kilometers above the reach of traditional surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and below the coverage of exo-atmospheric interceptors like the SM-3. He argued that terminal defense systems such as Patriot are better suited for intercepting hypersonics in their terminal phase, where the weapons slow below Mach 5 and become more predictable. However, even Patriot systems face production bottlenecks. Reuters reported in July 2024 that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) could take years to scale up PAC-3 production due to a shortage of missile seekers supplied by Boeing. Although the report said Boeing aimed to increase output by 30% by building new production lines in the US, those lines were not expected to be operational until 2027. Guy McCardle noted in a November 2024 SOFREP article that the limited number of Patriot interceptors per battery and their high cost – $3.7 million per missile with a production lead time of nearly 20 months – constrain their operational use. He emphasized that PAC-3 missiles must be deployed strategically to maximize their effectiveness against saturation attacks. Given the limitations of SM-6 and Patriot systems, Japan's railgun may alleviate concerns over magazine depth and cost. Japan's Aegis warships – including four Kongo-class, two Atago-class, and two Maya-class destroyers – each carries 90 to 96 vertical launch system (VLS) cells. Yet, these may prove insufficient during a saturation attack involving hypersonic, cruise, and ballistic missiles, alongside kamikaze drones. A railgun, integrated onto these platforms or future Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEVs), could significantly enhance magazine capacity. According to a 2021 conference paper by Shreyas Maitreya and others, a 450-millimeter railgun projectile costs around $25,000, compared with missiles priced between $500,000 and $1.5 million. Unlike missiles, they note railgun rounds are inert and pose no risk of accidental detonation, easing transport and storage constraints. Nevertheless, ATLA equipment policy division principal director Kazumi Ito acknowledged in a June 2025 National Defense Magazine article that the railgun project still faces considerable technical challenges. In the same piece, Stew Magnuson notes unresolved issues including barrel wear, energy supply, heat dissipation and development of a high-speed targeting system. Despite these hurdles, Japan's push to operationalize railgun technology reflects a pragmatic response to a regional threat environment shaped by hypersonic proliferation, interceptor shortages and constrained missile defense capacity.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Railgun Installed On Japanese Warship Seen In New Photos
New pictures have emerged showing work being done on the Japan Self-Defense Forces' prototype electromagnetic railgun currently installed on the test warship JS Asuka. An at-sea test of the weapon in this configuration is expected to come before the end of the month, if it has not occurred already. Japan's continued developments in this realm stand in notable contrast to the U.S. Navy's shelving of its promising pursuit of this category of weapons in the early 2020s after major technical hurdles emerged. The images of Asuka and its railgun in port in Yokosuka, seen at the top of this story and below, come from @HNlEHupY4Nr6hRM on X who originally posted online. All of the images were taken on June 30. Additional photos of the ship taken recently are also circulating online. Asuka, a 6,200-ton-displacement dedicated testbed with a warship-like design, first emerged with the turreted railgun on its stern flight deck in April. The pictures show the shroud around the railgun removed so that work can be performed on the weapon inside. This confirms that the railgun installed in the turret on Asuka is extremely similar, if not identical, to a prototype that the Japanese Ministry of Defense's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) has been testing on land and sea for a number of years now. TWZ had posited that this was likely the case based on what was visible in previous available imagery. How exactly the design may have evolved over the years is unclear. Also visible are what look to be several containerized generators and/or capacitors, as well as other shipping containers that could contain additional systems or workspaces. Railguns, which use electromagnets instead of chemical propellants to fire projectiles at very high velocities, have historically had significant power generation and cooling requirements. These demands mean that complete railgun weapon systems are typically physically very bulky. 06/30/2025 試験艦 あすか 搭載しているレールガン整備中でした。砲身カバーも外して砲身本体も見えました — (´･(ｪ)･｀) (@Gov_Vessel_fan) June 30, 2025 With all this in mind, TWZ previously noted that installing the railgun turret Asuka's flight deck made good sense from a testing perspective, given the ample open space it offered. Integrating the weapon onto an operational warship in a traditional manner would require meeting the power and cooling demands, as well as finding sufficient space below deck for the various components, in addition to the time and resources for those more extensive modifications. Railguns present additional challenges when it comes to the wear and tear of sustained firing of projectiles at very high speeds. As barrels quickly wear out from extreme friction, the weapon's range and accuracy are degraded, and the potential risk of a catastrophic failure can emerge. In past testing, ATLA has reportedly demonstrated the ability to fire rounds at a velocity of around 4,988 miles per hour (2,230 meters per second; Mach 6.5) while using five megajoules (MJ), or 5 million joules (J), of charge energy. As of April, prior testing goals had included a muzzle velocity of at least 4,473 miles-per-hour (2,000 meters-per-second) and a barrel life of 120 rounds, according to Naval News. Reports say that ATLA has also been working to reduce the weapon's power requirements. In May, Aviation Week reported that at least one at-sea test of Asuka's railgun installation was set to occur sometime in June. Yahoo Japan subsequently published a story saying that the testing window would span from June 9 to July 25. That same piece said that the test ship had been observed departing Yokosuka on June 9, but it is unclear whether or not any live-fire testing has yet taken place. Speaking through an interpreter at a panel discussion at DSEI Japan 2025, Kazumi Ito, principal director of the equipment policy division at ATLA, said Japan's railgun efforts were 'progressing,' but acknowledged 'various challenges,' according to National Defense Magazine. Despite the challenges, Japanese authorities have made clear they are looking toward an operational naval railgun capability in the future. Starting at the DSEI Japan 2025 exposition earlier this year, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has been publicly showing a model of a railgun in a turret with a much more streamlined design than the one currently on Asuka. Railgun GUNDAMのビームライフルみたいなモノらしい！やべー #防衛省#防衛省・自衛隊#レールガン — TAC✩FIGHTER. NJ 7/6札幌SGGM (@Tacforce_japan) July 1, 2025 In a public presentation in 2024, JMSDF Vice Adm. Imayoshi Shinichi, ATLA's director general of Naval Systems, had also highlighted plans to integrate a railgun on future 13DDX destroyers, which are expected to begin entering service in 2024. ATLA has previously shown an artist's conception of a Maya class destroyer, also known as the 27DDG class, armed with a railgun, as well. Japan's future Destroyers and Submarines at CNE 2024 @YouTubeより 13DDX！！！！！！！！レーザー！A-SAM！レールガン！あとなにげにFutureAEGISがASEVに近くない！？ — Yasuおすぎ @C106 日曜 東キ-05b (@yasu_osugi) May 28, 2024 The video below, which ATLA put out last year, also depicts ground-based railguns mounted on trucks. As terms of potential operational applications of either naval or ground-based railguns, these weapons hold the promise of being potent anti-air assets, in addition to being able to engage targets at sea and on land. As TWZ has previously written: 'In principle, a practical electromagnetic railgun would offer a highly capable and flexible weapon system that can rapidly engage a wide array of targets at sea, on land, and even in the air, and at considerable ranges. Japan has previously expressed interest in this capability explicitly to help protect against incoming hypersonic threats. Such a weapon would also offer benefits in terms of magazine depth and cost compared to traditional surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, given the small size and lower unit price of the individual rounds.' 'When it comes to warships, in particular, where physical space is at a premium and where options for reloading missiles at sea can be at best extremely limited, having a weapon system firing lower-cost munitions from a large magazine and that can engage a broad swath of target sets would be a clear boon.' Japan is certainly not alone in trying to turn the capabilities that a railgun could offer into a reality. The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army have experimented with railgun designs in the past two decades or so. The Navy was particularly active on this front from 2005 to 2022, but ultimately shelved that work in the face of persistent technical issues. Planned at-sea testing was never conducted after being repeatedly set back. Interestingly, ATLA has reportedly met with U.S. Navy representatives about potentially leveraging the service's past railgun work. 'In getting closer to the deployment, I believe the scope of collaboration [with the United States] will be expanded,' ATLA's Ito had also said during the DSEI Japan 2025 panel discussion, per National Defense Magazine. In the meantime, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army have already continued to leverage hypervelocity projectiles previously developed for the railgun for use in conventional naval and ground-based guns. Using the fast-flying projectiles for air defense applications, including knocking down incoming cruise missiles and drones, remains a particular area of interest. China, a major competitor for Japan on both regional and global levels, has been notably active in developing naval railguns, as well. A turreted railgun first emerged on a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship back in 2018. How that development of that design or other Chinese railguns has progressed since then is unclear. Other countries, most notably Turkey, are also now actively pursuing railguns, including for naval use. In 2024, Japanese authorities themselves signed a deal to cooperate on future railgun developments with their counterparts in France and Germany. New details about Japan's progress toward fielding an operational naval railgun may begin to emerge soon based on the results of the testing of the prototype installed on Asuka. Special thanks again to @HNlEHupY4Nr6hRM for sharing the pictures of Asuka with its railgun with us. Howard Altman contributed to this story. Contact the author: joe@
India.com
24-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
This Asian country conducts hypersonic missile testing on its soil, not India, Pakistan, China, North Korea, name will surprise you, it is...
Representative Hypersonic missile image ( Source Oscar Sosa US NAVY AFP) Japan test fires Hyper-Velocity Gliding Projectile: In a historic set of events from Asia, Japan conducted its first ever hypersonic missile test on its soil. The missile test is being seen a response to growing threats of North Korea and China in the region. Notably, Japan demonstrated its new Hyper Velocity Guided Projectile (HVGP) missile, built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries under the guidance of Japan's Advanced Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) on June 24. Here are all the details you need to know about the features of the HVGP missile and Japan's Advanced Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA). Japan test fires Hyper-Velocity Gliding Projectile In a historic development on June 24, Japan successfully test-fired its first domestically developed hypersonic missile, the Hyper-Velocity Gliding Projectile (HVGP), during the Fuji Firepower 2025 drills. Marking a significant shift in its defense posture amid rising threats from China and North Korea, the indigenously made missile of Japan is capable of speeds exceeding Mach 5 and ranges up to 900 km (later versions up to 3,000 km). As per media reports, the missile will be deployed on mobile platforms in regions like Kyushu and Hokkaido. Japanese PM Ishiba decides to skip NATO Summit In another significant development related to Japan's security, Shigeru Ishiba, the Prime Minister of Japan, has cancelled his June 24-26 visit to Netherlands to attend the NATO Summit, the country's Foreign Ministry announced, indicating Japan's lessening hopes from NATO, as reported by IANS news agency. 'Prime Minister's visit to The Hague in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which was scheduled for June 24-26 to attend the NATO Summit, has been cancelled due to various circumstances,' read a statement issued by the Japanese Foreign Ministry. It mentioned that Japan's Foreign Affairs Minister Takeshi Iwaya will instead visit the Kingdom of the Netherlands to attend events related to the NATO Summit and also use the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with various countries, including the G7, to discuss current important international issues. Last week, Tokyo had announced that Ishiba will be visiting The Hague, which would be the fourth consecutive year that a Japanese Prime Minister will attend the NATO Summit, since Japan was first invited in 2022. (With inputs from agencies)
Free Malaysia Today
23-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Japan shows off futuristic ‘railgun' at defence expo
Other countries are also developing railgun technology, but Japan's navy claimed a world first by test-firing a railgun on a ship. (Digital Journal pic) MAKUHARI : As Japan's biggest defence exhibition kicked off this week, visitors got a close-up look at a model of its futuristic 'railgun' that its makers hope will be able to shoot down hypersonic missiles. Instead of gunpowder, railgun technology uses electromagnetic energy to fire a projectile along a set of rails at ultra-high velocity. The round will then in theory destroy the target, which could be an enemy ship, drone or incoming ballistic missile, solely with its vast kinetic energy. Other countries, including the US, China, France and Germany, are also developing the technology, but Japan's navy last year claimed a world first by test-firing a railgun on a ship. 'A railgun is a gun of the future that fires bullets with electrical energy, unlike conventional artillery,' an official from the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) within Japan's defence ministry told AFP. 'It is expected that threats that can only be dealt with by railguns will emerge in the future,' said the official, who did not want to be named. The three-day DSEI Japan Conference defence fair, which began yesterday, comes as Japan adopts a more assertive defence policy and looks to sell more military equipment to other countries. In particular, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Germany's Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) are competing for a major contract to supply the Australian navy with new warships. Winning the multi-billion-dollar Project Sea 3000 contract to supply Australia with Mogami-class frigates would be Japan's largest postwar military export order, according to Japanese media.
