Chinese navy is testing the most powerful coil gun ever built: Details

The Chinese navy is reportedly testing the planet's most powerful coil gun, a type of electromagnetic weapon capable of launching projectiles with extremely high speed in the blink of an eye, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
 

According to scientists, the coil gun accelerated a 124kg projectile in a firing test to a speed of 700km/h in less than 0.05 seconds. It was the heaviest known projectile to be used in a coil gun experiment. The exact dimensions and maximum range of the weapon remain classified.

Coil guns, also known as magnetic accelerators, could bring massive changes to the way wars are fought, paving the way for more devastating attacks on enemy targets. They could potentially launch missiles or send satellites into space.

 A 120mm-calibre electromagnetic coil mortar test device at the Sandia National Laboratories in the United States is one of the closest rivals to the Chinese coil gun. Among the largest of these devices ever built, the device is capable of firing a projectile weighing 18kg.

According to a study published by Israeli scientists in the journal Scientific Reports, other systems around the world can  typically fire projectiles weighing only a few grams and with a diameter of a few millimetres.

According to Professor Guan Xiaocun of the Naval University of Engineering, the coil gun has several advantages over traditional artillery, including faster launch speeds and lower launch costs. Guan and his colleagues wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Transactions of China Electrotechnical Society that the coil gun "has the potential for revolutionary breakthroughs in terms of speed, range, power, accuracy, safety, flexibility and reliability". They added that the coil gun could have applications in areas such as weapon systems, near-earth satellites and high-speed missile launches.

The Chinese military's 30-stage coil gun is still in the testing phase, and it is unclear when or if it will be deployed in the field. However, it has been investing large amounts of money in technology in recent years.

What are coil guns, and how do they work?

Also known as Gauss guns, these weapons come with a series of coils arranged along the barrel of the gun. To create a magnetic field that can launch a projectile forward, each coil is energised one after another. During the launch, the projectile stays suspended in the centre of the coil, which helps prevent it from touching the wall of the barrel. Repeated firings do not cause wear on components. Challenges in materials science have made it difficult to build powerful models even though the technology has been around for decades.