The Ship Model Forum

It looks like China is about to test a futuristic railgun as the US Navy puts the brakes on its $500 million program
Ben Brimelow 4h

Photos have been circulating on social media that show a Chinese ship with what could be a prototype railgun on its bow.

The photos, taken at the Wuchang Shipyard in China's Hubei Province, show a Type 072III-class landing ship identified as the Haiyang Shan with a much larger gun on its mount than its usual twin 37mm cannon.

The size and shape of the weapon are roughly the same as the US Navy's own prototype rail gun, and the shipping containers on the deck could be used as control rooms or to house the power supply. Moreover, the location of the photographs may hint as to the gun's true nature - the Wuchang Shipyard has been the sight of previous tests for the Chinese Navy.

(...SNIPPED)

Ship spotters from China released several pictures of what appears to be an electromagnetic (EM) railgun. The pictures released on January 31st show the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) Type 072 III landing ship Haiyangshan (hull number 936) fitted with the suspected railgun at its bow and several ISO containers amidship.

At least three containers seem to be placed on the landing ship, likely for power supply and control. The shape of the turret itself is in line with what a railgun turret could look like. The shape of the barrel itself shares some similarities with BAE Systems' railgun (in its turreted variant) with a large diameter on one half and a smaller diameter on the second half.

PLAN Railgun LST test platfrom off to another sea trials

No, no western New Year break for those PLAN sailors.

It looks like China will beat the US Navy in the railgun race — here’s why it doesn’t actually matter
Ryan Pickrell
Jan. 12, 2019, 12:10 PM

Chinese state media recently revealed that China will "soon" arm warships with electromagnetic railguns, a much-hyped technology that's of questionable use to a military.
This would certainly be a noteworthy technological feat for China, but it would be militarily insignificant, experts told Business Insider.
An operational railgun would likely bring very little to the table militarily, but it would advance the narrative that China is a formidable rising power with the ability to develop next-generation weaponry. (....SNIPPED)