By Natali Moss
"China's future nuclear-powered aircraft carrier may be equipped with more advanced defensive weapons, such as high-energy laser weapons and electromagnetic railguns," he said. An electromagnetic railgun is a weapon system that uses electromagnetic force instead of gunpowder. With the help of electricity, it creates a strong magnetic field, which then accelerates the "bullet" along the rails, possibly even to supersonic speeds.
The technology provides a high initial velocity of the projectile and a low level of noise, but consumes a huge amount of energy and has a low rate of fire. And this is not its only drawback. According to the National Security Journal, the US Navy was developing rail guns for warships, but the project was closed in 2021 after an investment of more than $500 million.
The biggest problem was the release of a large amount of heat during firing, which quickly damaged the barrel - it did not withstand even 30 shots. However, Japan has continued research in this area and recently demonstrated a rail gun on board the JS ASUKA. According to the Japanese, the weapon can fire 40-mm projectiles weighing 320 grams with an initial velocity of up to Mach 6. 5. With its help, the military plans to shoot down hypersonic missiles.
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