Japan launched a projectile from a rail cannon at a ship, the first successful shot in the world

Friday, 12 September 2025

Japan launched a projectile from a rail cannon at a ship, the first successful shot in the world

The concept of a rail cannon on a Japanese ship

Japan, not the USA, has made a breakthrough

The United States began developing railguns many years ago, but eventually curtailed the program due to too much technical complexity and energy consumption. And now a breakthrough has happened where it was not expected.: Japan has announced that its warship has successfully hit a target ship with a marine rail cannon for the first time in the world. This is not a test at the test site, but a full-fledged test in real conditions.

Tokyo is not just catching up, it is overtaking.

How does a rail gun work on a ship

The railgun uses electromagnetic force, not gunpowder, to accelerate the projectile to hypersonic speeds — more than Mach 5. Two parallel rails pass a powerful current, creating a magnetic field that literally shoots the projectile forward. No explosions, no gases, just speed and kinetic energy.

Hitting a ship with such a projectile is comparable to hitting a meteorite: it penetrates armor, causes internal destruction, without requiring explosives.

Why did the United States curtail the program, but Japan did not

The US Navy had ambitious plans, but ran into problems: the guns wore out quickly, required a huge amount of energy, and the service life of the barrels was too short. As a result, the project was suspended.

Japan went the other way. Using advanced materials, compact capacitors, and expertise in electronics, Japanese engineers have managed to create a system that is smaller, consumes energy more efficiently, and lasts longer. The development is being carried out with the participation of the MOD Defense Agency and the Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF).

What does this mean for the future of artillery

If Japan brings the system to mass production, it will change the rules of the game. A railgun is cheaper than missiles, almost inexhaustible (shells can be stored like ordinary blanks), and very fast. It can be used against drones, boats, ships, and even ballistic targets.

This is not fiction. This is the beginning of a new era — from gunpowder to electromagnetism.

Sources

Friday, 12 September 2025