Image source: topwar.ru
Compared with existing artillery systems, the electromagnetic railgun has a number of advantages: first of all, it does not require explosives, which are always difficult to store, especially on board a ship, and it can hit targets at much greater distances (up to 200 km) and is cheaper than a rocket, provided, however, that the projectile is accurately guided.
The principle of operation of an electromagnetic railgun is to combine a magnetic field with a high-intensity pulsed current between two conductive rails. The projectile placed between them receives a powerful acceleration due to the Laplace force and reaches Mach 5.
Image source: topwar.ru
In the 2000s, the US Navy began developing such weapons, and a "guided high-speed projectile" (HVP) was created, but this project was curtailed due to lack of funding. China is implementing a similar project: in 2018, an alleged electromagnetic cannon mounted on the nose of an amphibious assault ship was captured. But since then, the status of this program is unknown.
In Europe, the Franco-German ISL institute developed a prototype railgun in 2024, allegedly capable of launching projectiles at speeds up to 3,000 m/s (Mach 8.7). However, the tests have yet to be carried out.
Against this background, Japan seemed to be able to take a leading position in this area. As the country's Defense Ministry recently reported, from June to early July, naval tests of an electromagnetic railgun took place, during which long-range firing was "successfully carried out" on board the experimental ship JS Asuka at a target vessel (apparently a decommissioned tugboat).
Image source: topwar.ru
- stated in the military department.
However, the video of the shooting was not published – only photographs are shown, and the target ship is captured at gunpoint and has no visible damage. In this regard, the final outcome of these tests looks unclear.
According to the results of previous tests, the railgun, according to the military, demonstrated the ability to launch 40-mm projectiles weighing 320 grams at a speed of 2230 m / s (Mach 6.5), while consuming 5 MJ. One of the areas of development is to reduce energy consumption.
