Railgun
The weapon the US Navy shelved in 2021, now coming back thanks to Japan.
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ROLE
Electromagnetic gun firing cheap, very fast projectiles against missiles and ships.
STRENGTHS
- Projectiles cost a fraction of an interceptor missile
- No explosive propellant on board
- Japan has fired one from a ship at sea
WEAKNESSES
- Barrel wear limits rate and number of shots
- Needs ships with very large electrical power
- The US program was shelved in 2021
The US Navy spent about sixteen years and nearly a billion dollars on an electromagnetic railgun before pausing it in 2021 and requesting no further funding. The Navy cited budget pressure and the difficulty of fitting it into a ship's combat system; barrel wear and power were the long-standing technical hurdles.
Japan kept going and became the first country to fire a railgun from a ship at sea. With cheap, fast projectiles now attractive against missile salvos, the concept is being drawn onto America's newest warship designs again.
Read the analysis
SEA · WEAPONSThe railgun America gave up on, and why it's back