Japan successfully fires electromagnetic railgun
Japan successfully test-fired an electromagnetic railgun from a ship on 17 October, a world first and a major step in a process worth billions of Yen.
The Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) of Japan's Ministry of Self Defence announced the success of the test on Twitter/X stating: ‘ATLA has accomplished ship-board firing test of railgun for first time in the world with the cooperation of the Japanese Marine Self-Defence Force.’
The announcement highlighted the main role of the system is to ‘protect vessels against air threats and surface threats by high-speed [munitions].’
In May 2022, the ATLA's Ground Systems Research Centre concluded a JPY6.5 billion ($47.9 million) contract with Japan Steel Works to research and prototype a railgun. Also in May, ATLA said a further contract of JPY16 billion would be inked.
Securing electrical power is a practical issue in the application of railguns. To this end, ATLA signed a JPY3.7 billion contract with Japan Steel Works to downsize power supply units and capacitors.
The ATLA railgun uses five megajoules (MJ) of charge energy and achieved a speed of about 2,230m/s or Mach 6.5 in a 2018 test. Ultimately, ATLA has said it intends it to run on 20MJ.
Other countries have walked away from railgun technology but Japan remains committed. In May, Japan announced it had developed a prototype medium railgun of 40mm calibre to research how to achieve higher initial velocity and longer barrel life.
The rail’s endurance is more than 120 rounds and can fire a projectile weighing 320gm. It has, however, been a long road with ATLA beginning research on a small 16mm-calibre railgun in 1990.
ATLA said the railgun would be mounted on a destroyer or truck to intercept hypersonic guided missiles and attack naval vessels and ground targets, despite the difficulties for a Mach 6.5 projectile with no guidance system to effectively intercept hypersonic-guided missiles flying at Mach 5-10 speeds.
More from Naval Warfare
-
US Navy takes delivery of New Jersey SSN
The USN’s Virginia-class SSNs are replacing the old Los Angeles-class SSNs. The Virginia-class SSNs are fitted with the latest sensors and weapons and around 48 submarines are planned, with a total of 38 currently ordered.
-
BMT and DNV partner to meet Australia’s heavy landing craft requirement
Under Project Land 8710 Phase 2, Australia has been seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels to replace the Balikpapan-class. The programme has an estimated value of AU$1.4 billion (US$910 million), with IOC slated for 2032.
-
Babcock to take over upkeep of Royal Navy Type-23 frigates
The Royal Navy’s Type-23 Duke-class frigates for the UK Royal Navy were designed as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships but now have a multi-role function. Of the 16 Type 23s built, 12 remain in service with the Royal Navy and will be replaced by the Type-26 frigates before 2035.
-
Austal completes autonomy trials with former Royal Australian Navy patrol boat
The work took place under the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT), which has been a collaboration between Austal, Greenroom Robotics, the Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre and the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Warfare Innovation Navy Branch.
-
Singapore launches fourth and final Type 218SG submarine
The era of southeast Asian submarine modernisation has been in full swing fuelled by growing tensions in the South China Sea.