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China’s world first: Electromagnetic railgun goes to sea
news.com.au ^ | January 2, 2019 | Jamie Seidel

Posted on 01/01/2019 6:48:45 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki

The world was shocked when pictures began circulating early last year of a strange, large gun seemingly bolted to the bows of a Chinese amphibious assault ship.

It turned out to be the world’s first naval rail gun. Now it’s been pictured in operation.

A hazy image of the oddly-shaped ship with its oversized gun sailing in the open ocean has been released on China’s tightly controlled social media networks.

It shows the vessel undergoing testing on the open ocean.

If true, it means Beijing has beaten the United States — and the world — to getting the next generation weapon into operational testing.

CHALLENGING CAPABILITY

The Type 072II Yuting-class tank landing ship Haiyangshan has been converted from its previous role to become an experimental testbed. This is likely because its open cargo bay is capable of holding the extensive array of batteries and generators necessary to power the next-generation weapon.

While still no warship, the cannon it carries is a fearsome sign of things to come.

It does away with the heat, pressure and residue of gunpowder-powered cannons.

Instead, it uses intense bursts of energy to build a focused magnetic field capable of flinging out cannon shells at many times the speed of sound.

This gives the gun much greater speed, range — and accuracy — than conventional cannons.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; miltech; railgun
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To: ClearCase_guy

Don’t tell me that the U.S. Navy, once run by the leader of the Queens Navy, (forgotten his name already), is going to use “solar power” for its “railguns”.

I can just hear the radarman yelling, “Captain, there be typhoons”. End of game. End of ship.


21 posted on 01/01/2019 7:23:41 PM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Well the balloons and rainbow on the released photograph should give everyone a warm and fuzzy, and put minds at ease.


22 posted on 01/01/2019 7:24:10 PM PST by A strike (Import Third World become Third World)
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To: sukhoi-30mki; American in Israel

It could be a electrothermal gun instead of a rail gun. These use fluids pumped by several thousand amps instead of gunpowder. Not as fast as and uses a less power than a rail gun, while producing more velocity than standard guns.


23 posted on 01/01/2019 7:47:03 PM PST by Widget Jr
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To: sukhoi-30mki
Yawn.

I don't have any info other than what's been posted, but I'd bet good money that, somehow, they're "not doing it right."

24 posted on 01/01/2019 8:15:59 PM PST by AAABEST (NY/DC/LA media/political industrial complex DELENDA EST)
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To: eartick

Naw, no extension cord. They just loaded the hold with Energizer Bunnies.


25 posted on 01/01/2019 8:19:11 PM PST by oldasrocks
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To: ClearCase_guy

While it is clear the Zumwalt class is basically a test bed in the form of a possibly deployable vessel, they did build the infrastructure into the ship electronically to be able to drive a rail gun.

They have an integrated Power System (IPS) that can take 80 MW generated by four marine turboshaft generators, and distribute the power flexibly.

That is a huge amount of power, enough for a railgun, but I suspect they just couldn’t work out the bugs in time to put it aboard, so they have a 155 mm main battery.


26 posted on 01/01/2019 8:26:28 PM PST by rlmorel (Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
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To: sukhoi-30mki

Only one country on Earth is batshit crazy enough to start flinging these projectiles at sea before its stabilized...

Well North Korea is also crazy enough, but won’t have the technology till China gives it to them.


27 posted on 01/01/2019 8:32:10 PM PST by BeauBo
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To: ClearCase_guy
If you read between the pictures, the second 'paragraph' is there:

The Type 072II Yuting-class tank landing ship Haiyangshan has been converted from its previous role to become an experimental testbed. This is likely because its open cargo bay is capable of holding the extensive array of batteries and generators necessary to power the next-generation weapon.
28 posted on 01/01/2019 9:01:54 PM PST by Svartalfiar
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To: sukhoi-30mki
If true, it means Beijing has beaten the United States — and the world — to getting the next generation weapon into operational testing.

Are they sure this is correct? A quick search (it's late) comes up with this:

https://newatlas.com/us-navy-electromagnetic-railgun-sea-trials/31551/

The 2016 test deployment will be the first sea trial of a railgun. It will use a JHSV vessel because its cargo space and topside are readily available for installing the gun, and since the JHSV is a non-combatant ship, a permanent weapon installation isn’t required.
29 posted on 01/01/2019 9:07:06 PM PST by Svartalfiar
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To: JohnBrowdie

Same equipment, same uniforms, different people. An easily understandable mistake.

CC


30 posted on 01/01/2019 9:16:55 PM PST by Celtic Conservative (My cats are more amusing than 200 channels worth of TV.)
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To: struggle

The USN claimed something like 400 shots out of a given rail setup before retiring it but not necessarily at full power.


31 posted on 01/01/2019 9:38:56 PM PST by steve86 (Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc O'Morgair (Latin form: Malachy))
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To: American in Israel

Not a coil-gun.

At minimum,there are two parallel electrical rails.

https://scholar.colorado.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1184&context=asen_gradetds


32 posted on 01/01/2019 9:39:11 PM PST by Ozark Tom
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To: JohnBrowdie

Yep, if they build their ships with the same quality they put into their domestic cars then they won’t be a problem. Probably be dry docked one year out of three for repairs.


33 posted on 01/01/2019 9:40:33 PM PST by oldvirginian ( Buckle up kids, rough road ahead.)
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To: Mariner

Lack of electrical generation or distribution available with older ships. Zumwalt Class probable destination.

The rail-gun projectiles combined with advanced powder guns, such as Naval five-inch and/or 155mm army artillery, deliver about half to two-thirds of the desired capability.

The development of guided rounds may compensate for the ranging issues of the Combustion-Light-Gas-Guns, which preceded development of electric rail-guns. CLGG had a capability of 200 NM, but suffered inconsistent performance operating with pure ballistic rounds.


34 posted on 01/01/2019 10:02:33 PM PST by Ozark Tom
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To: Blue Jays

https://twitter.com/dafengcao/status/958651267315679233

https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/chinas-world-first-electromagnetic-railgun-goes-to-sea/news-story/6e31d167e88308f59ec96332ef1e867b


35 posted on 01/01/2019 10:02:55 PM PST by GOPJ ("The left doesn't fight evil; it fights those who do." -- Dennis Prager)
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To: going hot

Re: Looks somewhat short

Same thing I noticed.

If I understand correctly, all the acceleration takes place in the gun barrel.

USA rail guns have much longer barrels.


36 posted on 01/01/2019 11:31:09 PM PST by zeestephen
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To: Ozark Tom

To take advantage of the rail guns extreme range you need a stable platform that can compensate for roll and pitch. The USN hasn’t solved this yet. Long way to go.


37 posted on 01/02/2019 1:49:47 AM PST by .44 Special (Tiamid Buarsh)
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To: rlmorel

so they have a 155 mm main battery.


Isn’t that the battery for which they have no ammo?


38 posted on 01/02/2019 2:21:02 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
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To: JohnBrowdie

I’ll believe the Chinese rail gun is a real threat when I can get one at Harbor Freight.


39 posted on 01/02/2019 3:51:15 AM PST by wally_bert (We're low on dimes in fun city.)
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To: wally_bert

winner!


40 posted on 01/02/2019 4:14:29 AM PST by j_guru
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