What appears to be the world’s first naval rail gun – a hypersonic weapon capable of firing projectiles at five times the speed of sound – has been pictured on a Chinese naval warship at sea.
A hazy photo, posted by defence blogger Haohan-Red Shark emerged on Chinese social media last week, claims to show the tank landing ship Haiyang Shan at sea with what looks like an electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) mounted on its bow.
The same Type 072II Yuting-class tank landing ship was pictured with the same weapon atop the bow in a port at an unknown location last March.
The latest development in warfare technology means China is the first to develop a electromagnetic weapon, despite the US dedicating millions of dollars and more than a decade to its own railgun program.
This photo of naval warship Haiyang Shan at sea claims China has beaten the world in becoming the first to develop an electromagnetic railgun, the future of warfare technology
An US intelligence report found that China’s weapon would be able to strike 200km (125miles) away with a projectile velocity of 2.5km (1.55miles)per second — greater than Mach 7, the ABC reported.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Dr Malcolm Davis believes the most recent development will transform naval warfare and spark a ‘hemispheric battle space’.
‘This would see belligerents able to strike at each other at distances ranging in the hundreds of kilometres,’ Dr Davis told the ABC.
‘This would fundamentally change the nature of engagements as you could have adversaries being able to make precise strikes from afar for much less money.’ …..more here
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