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China is developing a powerful new weapon that could transform long-range warfare. Using a radical design capable of extreme speeds and distances, this technology could outmatch traditional missiles and defenses.
China’s military scientists have unveiled a new electromagnetic railgun concept that could dramatically alter the balance of long-range weaponry. Detailed in a paper from the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Army Engineering University and reported by multiple outlets, including the South China Morning Post and Asia Times, the system is designed to fire heavy projectiles at speeds reaching Mach 7. If proven viable, the weapon could deliver devastating firepower at far lower costs than conventional missile systems.
A New Design Tackling Old Railgun Problems
Railguns use electromagnetic force instead of gunpowder or explosives to propel a projectile at extreme speeds. While the technology has been explored for decades by major powers, including the U.S., Japan, and China, progress has been slowed by persistent engineering challenges.
China’s latest design addresses those obstacles with an unconventional x-shaped configuration. The concept, described by lead researcher Professor Lyu Qingao, stacks two railguns inside a single barrel at right angles, each with its own power circuit. This dual-circuit setup allows the two sets of electromagnetic fields to work independently without interfering with one another.
According to the team’s estimates, the system could fire a 60-kilogram projectile more than 400 kilometers in under six minutes, with impact speeds exceeding Mach 4. Previous Chinese naval prototypes, first seen on the ship Haiyangshan in 2018, were limited to firing 15-kilogram projectiles because of the destructive effects of extreme currents on the weapon’s rails.
