China's Navy Bets Big On Electromagnetic Railguns For Its Warships And Catapults For Its Aircraft Carriers

Type 055A

The Type 055A, shown here in this fan art, will have integrated electric propulsion, giving it enough electricity to carry energy-intensive railguns.

Popular Science: China is betting big on electromagnetic railguns and catapults

Just as the U.S. Navy is pulling away from the technology.

China has been making under-the-radar advances in railguns and other electromagnetic technologies, a move that's particularly notable considering the U.S. Navy has just recently reduced its efforts developing this kind of technology.

As opposed to gunpowder, railguns use electromagnetic energy to sling out a projectile, which means there's potential for far greater speed and range—the equivalent of a cannon with missile effects. Essentially, a railgun is an electromagnetic-powered cannon that's fires hypersonic shells by applying parallel magnetic fields (or "rails") on the shells

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WNU Editor: To accomplish these goals the Chinese are getting some help from the West .... By Snatching up British Company, China Closes Gap on US Naval Supremacy (Epoch Times).