Railguns were once considered the miracle weapon on the battlefield of the future. After the USA abandoned their projects in favor of hypersonic missiles have given up, other nations seemed to have no interest in it.
So it’s a bit ironic that advances in hypersonic technology could now revive the railgun. At least Japan is thinking loudly about this, reports National Defense.
Japan wants to cooperate with US arms companies
While the US abandoned railguns in 2021, Japan is sticking with it. This was emphasized at a conference Japanese Ministry of Defence recently that railgun development is a top priority. The basic research for this technology has been done over the past 10 years. But now you might need help to finalize the project.
Specifically would you help with Target system and energy storage need for railguns. That is the strength of US defense companies. In Japan you have other strengths that are important for the weapon system, such as in the materials science and in the construction of the rails. These are not only eponymous but essential for railguns. This was also one of the reasons why the USA did not pursue the project further: the high and rapid wear and tear of the rails raised doubts about the durability and long-term usability of railguns on the battlefield.
The railgun works similar to a Catapult. A sleigh runs between 2 rails – hence the name Railgun (rail = rail). One rail is positively charged, the other negatively charged. The current-carrying slide closes the circuit between the two rails.
This creates a magnetic field. This creates Lorentz force, where a magnetic field exerts force on moving charges. This accelerates the slide in the opposite direction to the energy source, i.e. towards the muzzle of the railgun. The projectile on the slide is then shot away at extremely high speed.
Advantages of rail guns:
- More than 10 times the range of a normal gun
- Guided railgun projectile costs less than 20 percent of a rocket
- Space and weight savings in ammunition: propellant charges for grenades/projectiles are no longer necessary
Disadvantages of Railguns:
- Excessive heat from firing will damage rails and other components, reducing durability
- Powerful railguns are still too big to be used mobile
The Railgun Project of Japan is managed by Japan Steel Works cared for. The company is known on the civilian market for the manufacture of reactor pressure vessels for nuclear power plants. Howitzers are manufactured for the armaments industry, as well as cannons and gun barrels for tanks and warships.
The Japanese government has now encouraged Japan Steel Works to contact the US companies responsible for railgun development for the US Army and US Navy. These are General Atomics and BAE Systems.
Use Japan with railguns to defend against missiles and ships
Another reason why the Army and Navy stopped the project at the time is the doubt about the scalability by rail guns. The test guns were very large and land-based. It was not believed that rail guns that are small enough could be developed in the foreseeable future. Eventually they were to be used as turrets on ships and as artillery pieces on a truck chassis.
Japan would not have this problem. The idea is namely the railguns as one stationary defense weapon to use. So should approaching hypersonic missiles be caught. Positioned on the coast, they could also carry hypersonic aircraft, high-flying bombers and also ships fend off. A fixed or at least semi-portable design would in any case reduce the problems of high weight and power supply that one would have had with a ship or truck railgun.
US Department of Defense must give the OK
Japan is convinced that if you could demonstrate that the railgun concept works in principle, the technology could become interesting again for the US armed forces. Cooperation between Japan and the US defense industry is therefore a “win-win” for everyone involved, says a representative of the Japanese Ministry of Defense.
BAE Systems has confirmed railgun development talks with Japan. One would therefore currently with the US Department of Defense negotiate. This must first give the OK so that the technology originally developed for the USA can now be used for the railgun project in Japan. General Atomics is also in negotiations with Japan and would welcome a partnership if the US government gives the go-ahead.
Railguns failed in the US
BAE Systems was responsible for the Navy’s railgun project. During the project, a prototype was 32 Megajoule performance built. He could pick up a projectile Mach 7,5 (over 9,000 km/h) accelerate. According to BAE Systems, that would mean a range of over 350 kilometers are equivalent to. For comparison: Modern guns on ships have an effective range of less than 40 kilometers.
The planned second prototype did not come about. The intense heat of firing wore out rails and other components too quickly. This technical problem could not be solved. In 2021, the Navy discontinued the project. The budget thus released was used by the Navy for the development of hypersonic missiles.
General Atomics was supposed to make a railgun for the US Army. The goal was to get them to the point where the railgun could either become a tank’s main gun or be used as a truck-based artillery piece. After a 10 megajoule prototype was delivered to the Army, the Army also canceled the project in 2021. According to General Atomics, they then continued to work on the technology at their own expense.
General Atomics called their railgun “Blitzer”
© General Atomics
Why Railguns Make Sense for Air Defense
Originally, railguns were developed to achieve the range of a rocket with a low cost of ammunition. These would potentially have been even less than with conventional artillery shells because only electricity is required instead of powder.
The idea of using a railgun for anti-aircraft defense seems to make sense. Once the target is locked on by ground-penetrating radar, the projectile is fired at the target at hypersonic speeds. That makes it for the goal difficult to avoid. Due to the high speed and range of a railgun, this can be done target to be intercepted earlier, than with other air defense systems. If the target is missed on the first try, you have more time for follow-up shots before the AA defenses have to be activated for shorter distances.
However, a simple projectile cannot track the target – if the hypersonic missile is a cruise missile that performs automated random evasive maneuvers, the shot could miss. Here could be one hybrid solution help. The railgun basically catapults an air-to-air missile near the target, which activates there and makes the final approach to the target using its own seeker head and engine. That would still be cheaper than having your own hypersonic missile, which is powerful enough to take off from the ground with its own engine and intercept the flying target. The Navy and Army also planned at the time guided railgun projectiles to develop. But they should be used against ships or ground targets.
