How Japan’s hypersonic railgun could deter China’s naval ambitions (interestingengineering.com)

submitted 11 months ago by Icytrees@sh.itjust.works to c/wildfeed@sh.itjust.works

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At a time when control of Pacific sea lanes is contested, Japan is positioning its hypersonic electromagnetic railgun development as a strategic centerpiece, aiming to deter Chinese naval threats and shift the regional balance of power.

Tokyo’s latest demonstration, shown by state-run ATLA, displays a prototype railgun firing hypersonic rounds at a moving ship. As the projectile surged forward, the deck shuddered slightly under the silent electromagnetic pulse, while nearby crew members steadied themselves, their expressions a mix of awe and anticipation.

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[-] magnetosphere@fedia.io 4 points 11 months ago

Didn’t I recently read a post about the practical limitations of railguns, which concluded that lasers are better?

[-] Icytrees@sh.itjust.works 5 points 11 months ago

Only you can answer that.

[-] Kolanaki@pawb.social 3 points 11 months ago

I can answer it but it has a 50% chance of being wrong.

[-] Manifish_Destiny@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

No, that was a dream we shared.

[-] magnetosphere@fedia.io 2 points 11 months ago

Okay, it all makes sense now

[-] wizzor@sopuli.xyz 3 points 11 months ago

For hitting drones and artillery shells? Almost certainly lasers win.

For hitting ships? Railguns, if the problems with the rails getting festroyed after a few shots can be fixed. The Japanese claim 200 shots per barrel. Whether that means just the rails or whole barrel is unclear.

this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2025

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