China could be developing ship-based railgun

Photos circulating online appear to show the first experimental deployment of a new “supergun” aboard a Chinese warship, fuelling speculation that the weapon could be an electromagnetic railgun

TYPE 072 III-CLASS LANDING SHIP “HAIYANGSHAN”
Displacement: 7,000 tonnes 
Length: 119.5m
Shipping containers: May house generators, batteries and capacitors needed to power railgun

HOW IT COMPARES              U.S. railgun prototype
Effective range (km)  
160    
24 Conventional naval gun*
Muzzle velocity (Mach) 
7.0     *U.S. 127mm Mk 45
2.2

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Turret: Bears strong resemblance to dimensions of U.S. railgun prototype

Barrel length 10m

Size of gun normally carried on bow

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HOW RAILGUNS WORK
Positive rail
Armature
Negative rail
Projectile

Electric current

1 Projectile placed between two conductive rails. Armature placed behind projectile, bridging gap between rails


2 Electrical pulse passes through rails, creating opposing magnetic fields


Third magnetic field created in armature, which is repulsed by fields in rails and forced out of barrel with projectile

Magnetic field along axis of rail


Sources: Global Security, Popular Science, The National Interest    © GRAPHIC NEWS