CHINA IS MAKING RAILGUNS TOO --- too what? On Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 6:47:32 AM UTC-6, Travis wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.popsci.com/an-electromagnetic-arms-race-has-begun-china-is-making-railguns-too > AN ELECTROMAGNETIC ARMS RACE HAS BEGUN: CHINA IS MAKING RAILGUNS TOO > > By Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer > <http://www.popsci.com/popsci-authors/jeffrey-lin-and-pw-singer> Posted 11 > hours ago > > > > 20 > > [image: Description: China Railgun] > > Chinese Railgun > > This early Chinese railgun or coilgun (pre-2005) is part of Chinese > electromagnetic research, which began in the 1980s. While railguns are > relatively simple to build, the difficulty lies in scaling them up, as well > as making the barrel durable enough for multiple firings. > > Chinese Internet, via Strategy Center > > A Chinese defense contractor may be on its way to key breakthroughs in > railgun weaponry. > > > > [image: Description: cid:[email protected]] > > This BAE graphic illustrates the basic principles behind railgun > technology, as well as its advantages (high launch speed and range, > affordability, high firing volume). Chinese railguns on the Type 055A > destroyer would likely have such similar characteristics. > > BAE > > Railguns are one of the potential game-changing weapons of future war. > Instead of using the power of chemical explosives such as gunpowder, a > railgun uses electromagnetic force to propel projectiles to hypersonic > speeds, potentially up to ranges of several hundred miles. A railgun's > barrel has two parallel conducting rails built into it. When a moving > armature (usually the projectile) is inserted into the barrel, it connects > the parallel rails to complete the current, thus generating an intense > electromagnetic field. The projectile then accelerates out of the barrel at > high speeds. > > [image: Description: 206 Institute CASIC China railgun elecromagnetic > launch] > > 206 Institute > > Scientists at CASIC's 206th Institute in the lab. Scientists at the 206th > Institute among China's leading researchers in applied electromagnetic > launch (including technologies like railguns and EMALS catapults). > > These new class of weapons are considered by the US Navy to be a key > technology for meeting 21st century warfighting needs, most notably in > plans for countering China's military growth. Until now, the tech have been > primarily a US dominated space; the U.S. Navy for example will test a > railgun on the USNS Trenton starting in 2016. This seems to be changing. > > [image: Description: CASIC China Railgun launch technology 7th Chinese > Electromagnetic Technology Conference] > > 7th Chinese Electromagnetic Technology Conference > > At the 7th Chinese Electromagnetic Technology Conference in Oct 2015, > Chinese scientists presented advances in key railgun technologies, such as > toughened barrels to allow for rapid railgun firing in combat conditions. > > CASIC > > The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) has reported > online that its 206 Institute, which researches electromagnetic launch > technologies, has made breakthroughs in electromagnetically launch boosted > missiles and railguns designed for close in weapons systems (CIWS). This > follows the 206 Institute's hosting of the Seventh Chinese Electromagnetic > Technology Conference in Oct 2015, which also reported advances in material > sciences to reduce railgun barrel wear (while railgun technology have been > tested since 1918, power generation and the wearing out of the barrel are > longstanding barriers to the deployment of militarily useful railguns). > > > > [image: Description: China EMALS Catapult] > > Wuhan EMALS > > This satellite photo shows a test facility at the Chinese naval research > facility in Wuhan. Speculation is that it is the prototype for the Chinese > EMALS catapult system, which would be equipped on future Chinese carriers > (Type 002?). > > hmmwv at China Defense Forum > > Phoenix Television reported on a number of other related railgun research > advances. An early November 2015 news broadcast stated that Chinese > researchers have made breakthroughs in electromagnetic aircraft launch > systems (EMALS) and railguns, in areas from power storage to tougher barrel > materials. EMALS catapults could be installed on Chinese aircraft carriers > in the next decade, improving the performance of Chinese naval aircraft. > The Phoenix TV broadcast also suggested that the PLAN hopes to test its own > operational railgun in the next couple of years. > > > > [image: Description: China Type 1130 CIWS Gatling Cannon] > > Type 1130 CIWS > > The Type 1130 CIWS, with 11 30mm barrels, is the largest Gatling cannon in > the world, firing up to 11,000 rounds a minute (that's nearly 200 rounds a > second). Its designers say that it can shoot down 90% of incoming > supersonic missiles. But it could be replaced by shipborne railguns, which > would protect Chinese warships against future hypersonic threats. > > =GT at China Defense Forum > > Despite longstanding public conceptions of China only developing copycat > weapons aided by intellectual property theft and espionage (such as the > F-35 and J31 fighter jet similarity) , China's progress in developing new > cutting edge military technologies like railguns actually reflects a deep > investment in the field. Chinese scientists from civilian and military > universities submitted the most papers at the Institute of Electrical and > Electronic Engineers's 2014 Symposium on Electromagentic Launch in > California, and China will host the upcoming 2016 Symposium as well. > > [image: Description: Type 055 cruiser destroyer China] > > Type 055 > > The second batch of Chinese Type 055 destroyers will likely feature > railguns, starting in the 2020-2025 timeframe. A 32 megajoule railgun on > the Type 055 destroyer would be able to launch a ten kilogram projectile > over a 100 nautical miles away, with the impact energy of medium artillery. > Railgun ammunition can be guided, and programmed to explode over a target, > destroying soft targets like parked aircraft and missile launchers. > > lt.cdjby.net > > The likely use of the reported railgun in a close in weapons systems > (CIWS) would be to defend Chinese warships and bases against not just > conventional airplanes and missiles, but also hypersonic and ballistic > missiles. But China's recent progress in railgun technology also points to > their potential in the same long range fight role the US navy envisions > (covered in the recent book Ghost Fleet). There have been online rumors > that suggest that the second batch of Type 055 guided missile destroyers > (potentially to be termed the Type 055A, following the naming pattern) will > be armed with large railguns in the place of older 130mm cannons, for long > range anti-surface and air defense warfare. The putative Type 055A > destroyer class would likely be launched after 2020, and feature integrated > electrical propulsion, for increased power generation to power railguns, > lasers and advanced sensors. > > [image: Description: Blitzer General Atomic Railgun] > > Blitzer Railgun > > The 10MJ General Atomic Blitzer railgun can be put on a mobile ground > launcher, supported by two generator vehicles to power it. Future advances > in power generation and storage could result in more powerful railguns, > with ranges of hundreds of miles, replacing Chinese short ranged ballistic > missiles. > > IHS JANES > > Just as a railgun was recently shown off at the US Army Association's > national convention, the technology might also be based on land, where > indeed the power generation issues are less challenging than trying to fit > onboard a ship. Large Chinese railguns could also be placed on ground > vehicles (similar to the General Atomic Blitzer) to provide mobility, > concealed on Chinese territory while defended by A2/AD systems. The long > range and accurate rapid fire capabilities of railguns would give the PLA a > cheaper, higher volume of fire, and less risky alternative to current > ballistic, cruise missile and air strikes in the Chinese arsenal. > > A railgun technology arms race seems to be happening, and it is something > to keep a close watch. It could very well reshape what is possible or not > in the Pacific security issues in the decades to come. > > > > > > > __._,_.___ > ------------------------------ > Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected] <javascript:>> > ------------------------------ > > > Visit Your Group > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmYjY0ZGNxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0NDgzOTY2MTM-> > > > - New Members > > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/members/all;_ylc=X3oDMTJnM2phbXJtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2bWJycwRzdGltZQMxNDQ4Mzk2NjEz> > > 1 > > [image: Yahoo! Groups] > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlN2o4MW42BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTQ0ODM5NjYxMw--> > > • Privacy <https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> • > Unsubscribe <javascript:> • Terms of Use > <https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> > > __,_._,___ > > >
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