The launch site of China's electromagnetic cannon has been exposed for the first time, marking the completion of small-scale continuous firing
How did this shell fly out without gunpowder, without roar, without visible flames?
On October 30th, the CCTV program "Military Zero Distance" first exposed China's electromagnetic emission test. The launch process requires no medication, no roar, and no visible flames. It is reported that electromagnetic guns will become a powerful tool for forest firefighting, capable of launching fire extinguishers to achieve remote strikes on wildfires.
From the electromagnetic gun exposed this time, it can be seen that unlike the electromagnetic guns developed in the military field, with a caliber of about 100 millimeters, it should be a low initial velocity barrel electromagnetic gun mainly developed for forest firefighting. It can launch fire extinguishing shells and is used in the firefighting field. Its main task is to deliver firefighting shells to the fire scene from a distance, thereby achieving long-distance firefighting, reducing the threat faced by firefighters entering the fire scene, and lowering the risk of casualties. This electromagnetic cannon can deliver fire extinguishing bombs to a fire scene several hundred meters away, or even tens of thousands of meters away, and the firing distance can be adjusted by controlling the current output. At the same time, the launch is carried out in a vehicle mounted manner, which can be transported by truck to the desired area and powered by the truck mounted power system. In terms of volume, it has fully achieved miniaturization and meets the fire extinguishing needs of different regions. It is also the world's first electromagnetic cannon to be truly put into use in the field of fire protection, and miniaturization and practicality have been achieved first in China.
However, compared to military electromagnetic guns, this type of fire extinguishing electromagnetic gun is incomparable and has relatively lower requirements. Electromagnetic guns in the military field need to attack enemy targets and carry out destructive strikes, with extremely strict requirements for range, kinetic energy, strike accuracy, and destructive capability. The range requirement for forest fire extinguishing electromagnetic guns is only a few kilometers, while electromagnetic guns in the military field can reach several hundred kilometers. In addition, compared with traditional artillery, electromagnetic guns do not require gunpowder as the power source for firing, and the pellets fired can be fully filled with the required fire extinguishing agent, greatly reducing the safety hazards caused by forest fire extinguishing after firing. They have advantages that cannot be compared to artillery fire extinguishing devices.
What is an electromagnetic gun? Electromagnetic cannon is an advanced kinetic energy killing weapon made using electromagnetic launch technology. Unlike traditional artillery, which uses the gas pressure generated by the combustion of gunpowder to propel the projectile launch. Electromagnetic cannon uses the Ampere force generated by the electromagnetic field in the electromagnetic system to accelerate metal projectiles to the required kinetic energy. Compared with traditional chemical energy cannons, electromagnetic cannons can greatly improve the speed and range of projectiles. In theory, as long as there is sufficient power, the speed and range of an electromagnetic gun can reach an unimaginable level.
Human research on electromagnetic guns started very early. In 1901, physics professor Berkeley at the University of Oslo in Norway obtained a patent for "electric guns". Around 1920, American artillery companies developed electromagnetic accelerators for artillery. During World War II, both Germany and Japan conducted research on electromagnetic guns. Germany even used electromagnetic guns to accelerate 10 gram projectiles to an initial velocity of 1.2 kilometers per second.
In the 1970s, Dr. Charid Marshall of the Australian National University used new technology to accelerate a 3-gram projectile to 5.9 kilometers per second. This experimental result proves that it is feasible to use electromagnetic force to propel objects to ultra-high speeds. After the announcement of the experimental results in 1978, it attracted the attention of military forces around the world. The US Defense Council believed that; Future high-performance weapons will inevitably be based on electrical energy;. So the US Department of Defense established; Joint Committee on Electromagnetic Guns;, Coordinate the electromagnetic gun research work initiated by multiple institutions.
In 2005, the US Navy began to focus on researching electromagnetic guns. The American electromagnetic gun research and development project is divided into two parts, one is designed and developed by General Dynamics of the United States, and the other is designed and developed by BAE Systems of the United Kingdom. According to data disclosed by the US military, electromagnetic guns can accelerate metal projectiles to a speed of 7200 kilometers per hour, equivalent to 6 times the speed of sound, through a powerful magnetic field. The prototype designed by BAE has a maximum range of 160 kilometers and can be used to intercept aircraft and missiles.
However, although the American electromagnetic gun project started very early, it soon encountered a technical bottleneck. The director of the US Navy Electromagnetic Research Center has publicly admitted that the electromagnetic gun development project has encountered difficult challenges, such as rapid charging and continuous firing, which cannot be solved and require a long charging time to launch once. In addition, the problem of miniaturization of electromagnetic guns has not been solved for a long time. So far, the electromagnetic guns in the United States are still in a very rudimentary prototype state, and their size is very large, making them impossible to become practical weapons. So, there is no expenditure on electromagnetic guns in the budget proposal submitted by the US Navy to Congress in 2022. The US Navy press officer commented that the electromagnetic gun project will be frozen, and related experimental and research records will be sealed, which means that the US Navy led electromagnetic gun project has been closed.
In contrast, although China's electromagnetic gun development program started later than the United States, the progress and achievements it has made far exceed those of the United States. As early as many years ago, China's electromagnetic guns were found to be installed on a 936 type landing ship for multiple live fire experiments. The most crucial thing is that China's electromagnetic guns have a very high level of completion. Unlike the rudimentary prototype electromagnetic guns in the United States, China's electromagnetic guns have been installed in complete turrets, indicating that China has achieved significant success in the miniaturization technology of electromagnetic guns.
In April 2016, media reported that China conducted its first test of electromagnetic guns at the Inner Mongolia Artillery Range: a 25 kilogram projectile was launched into a designated area 250 kilometers away. Satellite photos show that China's electromagnetic gun is 33.5 meters long and can penetrate 10 meter thick concrete targets and multiple layers of armor plates.
In August 2018, China's Science and Technology Daily reported that after exchanging ideas with Academician Ma Weiming, Han Junli, a researcher at a certain research institute of the army, combined electromagnetic catapult technology with field rocket launch technology to develop electromagnetic catapult rockets. Academician Ma Weiming once predicted, "Electromagnetic catapult technology will replace traditional chemical energy technology within 10 years. Electromagnetic effects are very significant and ubiquitous. In terms of transportation, what used to be done with chemical energy can mostly be done with electromagnetic energy
The release time of this electromagnetic cannon is also intriguing. During the high-level meeting between China and the United States in Rome, information about this electromagnetic cannon was suddenly exposed in China, and the meaning behind it is worth the United States to carefully ponder
Source: Military Black Technology