Japan's huge railgun aims 20-megajoule blow at Mach 7 to zap missiles

Japan has publicly showcased its advanced electromagnetic railgun mounted on a real vessel for the first time, marking a significant milestone in its naval weapons development. Operated by the Fleet Research and Development Command and supported by the Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) alongside Japan Steel Works, the railgun program began in 2016 with live-fire tests starting in 2022. The project addresses key technical challenges that have hindered similar efforts globally, such as maintaining projectile stability at hypersonic speeds and minimizing barrel wear caused by the intense forces generated during firing. The Japanese railgun prototype, installed on the ship Asuka, weighs approximately eight metric tons and features a six-meter barrel. It fires 40-millimeter steel projectiles weighing about 320 grams at speeds reaching Mach 6.5 (around 2,230 meters per second), with plans to increase the weapon’s charge energy from 5 megajoules to 20 megajoules. This contrasts with the U.S