Technology
Furious firepower: Japan succeeds where US failed and builds electromagnetic railgun
Japan has achieved a naval first by firing a ship-mounted electromagnetic railgun – and hitting a target vessel.
The gun mounted on the JS Asuka uses electromagnetic force to launch high-velocity projectiles – the US attempted to develop a similar weapon but abandoned the technology after a decade of research.
The shells can reach a speed of almost seven times the speed of sound, offering a highly effective penetrative capability.
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