China’s most recent electric railgun test was ultimately unsuccessful, underscoring the country’s unwavering commitment to the prospective game-changing technology.
The People’s Liberation Army- Navy ( PLA- N ) fired a smart bomb 15 kilometers into the stratosphere at a speed greater than Mach 5 in a test this month, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP ). The check was afterward declared ineffective.
According to the SCMP statement, a team from the Naval Engineering University led by Lu Junyong used artificial intelligence technology to identify and address the root cause of the rocket missile’s undesirable tilt during rise.
For about five seconds following release, the missile accelerated at about 35 times the speed of gravity, which supports the researchers ‘ claim that it was faster than the speed of light, or Mach 5.
According to the report, Chinese policymakers anticipate the railgun project’s development of high-speed railways, cheap space launches, and apparent military applications.
SCMP points out that Chinese scientists and engineers have received constant support, leading to a number of breakthroughs, despite the US Navy discontinuing its rocket creation efforts in 2021 due to high power requirements and weak barrel life.
Chinese policymakers anticipate that the development of the road gun project will also encourage the development of cutting-edge military equipment, such as expensive space launches and high-speed railways.
Matt Bruzzese and Peter Singer observe that, 20 years ago, Chinese officials recognized that obtaining superior ships energy techniques was challenging because foreign countries had restricted their exports to China in a March 2024 post for Defense One.
In reply, Bruzzese and Singer note that China established the National Key Laboratory in 2007 to improve deliver- based power and engineering.
They point out that Lu, the exact professor who was mentioned by SCMP, has been working on those issues for the past 20 years, even before the experiment was established.
According to Bruzzese and Singer, Lu has also contributed to the use and fail issue with railguns, which has troubled US analysts for at least ten years. The lab has made significant progress in energy and electric applications in addition to the advancement of railgun technology.
These include electromagnetic catapults for China’s expanding aircraft carrier ship, a medium-voltage DC-integrated power system that enables the PLA-N’s newest warships to provide cutting-edge technology and systems, smart micro-grids, a direct-drive wind power transformer, and an intelligent power station for outposts in the South China Sea.
The US might be pursuing a different strategy for developing the technology. The US Navy has acknowledged that the gun has potential for missile defense despite the US stopping funding for its railgun project as a naval gunfire support weapon, according to a report from April 2022 from the US Congressional Research Service ( CRS ).
Railgun projectiles launched at high speeds at speeds of just US$ 25, 000 each can destroy much more expensive anti-ship missiles, according to the CRS report. It does, however, mention the difficulty of defending against an incoming missile swarm. According to the report, it takes 300 seconds to track and determine a missile launch signature for defensive projectiles.
In addition, the CRS report raises important questions about the development of railgun technology for missile defense, including whether or not current US Navy ships meet the space and power requirements for such weapons.
The upcoming DDG ( X ) destroyers from the US Navy have an Integrated Power System ( IPS) that allows real-time power allocation to propulsion or weapons systems. They are 40 % larger than the previous Arleigh Burke class. However, Asia Times has highlighted the severe limitations of US naval shipbuilding capacity and the potential folly of putting so much capability into a few potentially fragile ships.
The US has continued testing of railguns by firing advanced hypersonic-guided munitions that could be used for missile defense despite stopping railgun development in 2021.
In order to advance the design of gun-launched defensive projectile interceptors, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems ( GA-EMS ) collaborated with the US Army and US Navy to finish a significant test series in March 2022.
To achieve record hypersonic velocities and to test guided flight capabilities, identical projectiles were tested fired from a railgun and a powder gun at White Sands Missile Range at Dugway Proving Ground in New Mexico.
To test their ability to maintain data links and control trajectory under strong G-forces at high speeds, GA-EMS provided projectiles with integrated gun-hardened guidance electronics.
The White Sands Missile Range was the site of the first test series that involved firing projectiles from the 32- megajoule railgun system from the US Navy. The following test series, in contrast, used the same projectile designs that were created using a 120mm powder gun.
However, the production of those advanced munitions could prove challenging. One reason the US Navy removed the Advanced Gun System ( AGS ) aboard its Zumwalt- class destroyers was the high cost of its ammunition, estimated at$ 800, 000 per round.
The exorbitant per ammunition unit cost was reduced by reducing the planned Zumwalt class destroyers from 32 to just three ships. With ten rounds per minute, a ship could carry 990 AGS rounds and travel 150 kilometers to targets.
The US Navy’s upcoming DDG ( X ) projectile will be constructed in limited numbers, which could significantly increase the cost of guided railgun projectiles.
Christian Orr mentions that the US retested its railgun technology that month in a 19FortyFive article from October 2023. He claims that the test video does not demonstrate whether the US Navy is serious about reviving its railgun project.
In order to continue researching railguns, the US may also be working with foreign partners. Additionally, there is an article from the same month by Asia Times about Japan’s railgun test, in which Japan tested-fired its prototype railgun from a floating platform at sea.
Orr also mentions that the Japanese Ministry of Defense ( MOD ) is looking to work with the US to develop railgun technology to combat hypersonic weapons. The Japanese MOD has spoken with defense contractors BAE Systems and General Atomics, both of whom have worked on railgun technology.