PRC Peoples Liberation Army Navy

[John Fedup]

Yes, not see more development on that rail gun development from Chinese Weibo or from Deino's X. However few months back found some talk in Chinese forums that the rail guns development still on going.

Still personally it's still bit early to discount rail gun. Japan already test their own version last year.

Japan Performs First Ever Railgun Test From Ship at Sea - Naval News

Japan's ATLA announced it has conducted the first ever railgun test firing from a ship, with the cooperation of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

www.navalnews.com

DEW seems so far being focus as part of anti missiles and anti drones defense. With advancement of hypersonic missile, more likely DEW can be the choices being taken as defense weapons for that. While rail gun more as missiles alternative (at least that's what I read from the prototypes program). So I guess the nature of target environment bit different between rail gun and DEW. So far PLAN seems going toward both of them, while on other side US on DEW but Japan seems keen on Rail Gun path. Perhaps both of them complement each other.

My understanding is the RG’s considerable velocity, hence KE depending on projectile mass, makes it a reasonable concept for high speed missile interception. The obstacle is rate of fire, energy requirements and rail durability seem to be the limiting criteria.

 

[Redshift]

Chinese Navy Testing Laser Turret On Type 071 LPD

The Chinese Navy is testing what appears to be a laser turret on a Type 071 amphibious dock. The step is a notable first for PLAN.

www.navalnews.com

PLAN shown their prototype of Direct Energy Weapons on one their Type 71 Prototype. Shown they are catching up on the weapons program with US. Their Electromagnetic Rail Gun also being use one of their amphibious assets as testing platform.

The article is very speculative about what this looky likey laser device actually is and no information has been released by China on what it is. So as proof that China is catching up with anyone seems like a leap of faith

Didn't the USA massively back peddle on the whole railgun concept?

 

[John Fedup]

The article is very speculative about what this looky likey laser device actually is and no information has been released by China on what it is. So as proof that China is catching up with anyone seems like a leap of faith

Didn't the USA massively back peddle on the whole railgun concept?

There was an article a ways back that suggested the USN railgun project was somewhere between on the back burner and cancelled.

 

[Ananda]

So as proof that China is catching up with anyone seems like a leap of faith

They are catching up in weapons program. If you can't seems to accept Chinese abilities to catching up in tech. The article also stayed no official confirmation yet, but that's not something unusual with Chinese program. They are just do thing, and let everyone else try to guess what they are doing. However saying they are not catching up, also bit underestimate.

 

[John Fedup]

China has four times the population of the US and instead of lawyers and accountants, their educators prioritize scientists and engineers instead of the former. It also helps to have the best espionage service (cyber and human) to obtain technology at a reduced cost albeit China has lots of cash and no whining population objecting to excessive military spending. The US, EU, and Japan/SKorea really need to counter this or China will move ahead before their demographics problems become an issue.

 

[Redshift]

They are catching up in weapons program. If you can't seems to accept Chinese abilities to catching up in tech. The article also stayed no official confirmation yet, but that's not something unusual with Chinese program. They are just do thing, and let everyone else try to guess what they are doing. However saying they are not catching up, also bit underestimate.

I didn't say anything of the sort, and neither you nor I know the true tech state in either the USA or China, I just suggested that this particular siting wasn't exactly proof of catching up , because it's not.

The USA abandoned there railgun program for good reasons I imagine, which would suggest, to me, that they no longer consider it to be the (immediate) future.

 

[John Fedup]

I didn't say anything of the sort, and neither you nor I know the true tech state in either the USA or China, I just suggested that this particular siting wasn't exactly proof of catching up , because it's not.

The USA abandoned there railgun program for good reasons I imagine, which would suggest, to me, that they no longer consider it to be the (immediate) future.

Well I guess a good reason was it didn’t deliver the desired capability required. Can China do better, don’t know. As per my previous posts, power requirements are likely part of the problem but I believe durability is even a bigger issue….but speculation on my part.

 

[Ananda]

I just suggested that this particular siting wasn't exactly proof of catching up , because it's not.

There's different between catching up in tech and catching up in weapons program. They are catching up in weapons program but not necessary yet proven in similar DEW tech. The context is different.