Japanese railgun tested on board JS Asuka ship

Two months ago Japanese Marine Defense Force (JMSDF) conducted on ship JS Asuka successful solenoid testing (railgun), showing that Tokyo is not going to give the field in a technological arms race. Echo of these attempts continues to resonate in the region – strengthening Japan's position and worrying neighbouring states.

In the article

Electromagnetic Cannon – technology directly from science fiction films?

Although this may seem futuristic, the Japanese electromagnetic cannon is no longer just a domain of scientific fantasy. It's real. a weapons system that passed further tests on 9 April aboard an experimental JS vesselAsuka (ASE-6102). It is on this unit that the technologies of tomorrow are tested – before they are implemented on ships already in active service.

Railgun, uses electricity instead of powder. Unlike a traditional cannon, it drives missiles through a magnetic field generated by a current flow in parallel rails. The missile is accelerated by a magnetic field generated by a current flow in two parallel rails. The missile reaches a speed exceeding Mach 6 – over 7200 km/h. Although it weighs only 320 grams, its kinetic energy is comparable to that of the meteorite. Its kinetic energy is comparable to the meteorite impact.

Costs versus effectiveness – railgun as a weapon of the future

Japanese construction railguna is oriented towards combating hypersonic missiles, which are becoming an increasingly common challenge on the arms of countries such as Russia and China. This system can be a cheaper alternative to classic interceptor rockets – a single shot from railguna costs incomparably less than a standard Missile-3 bullet.

Japan has been working on this technology since the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century. The breakthrough was to carry out 120 successful shots in 2022 without serious damage to the rails. The main challenges are not only huge demand for energy (up to 5 MJ per shot), but also heating and wear of components. Currently Asuka It is equipped with four containers – three contain capacitor banks, while the fourth charging system.

The future and international cooperation

According to plans of the Japanese Ministry of Defence, by 2027 a version of a smaller-caliber naval cannon is to be created, and by 2028 – a medium model, also in the land version. The aim is to minimize the entire system, allowing installation on ships and land vehicles. Moreover, Japan is stepping up its technological cooperation in this area with the US, France and Germany.

Unlike American and Chinese projects that focus on the offensive use of the electromagnetic department, Tokyo is developing defence-oriented technology and neutralizing threats from the air. This concept responds to Japan's growing defence needs and fits into a wider security strategy in the western part of the Indo-Pacific.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz