cannon

China has just mounted the largest cannon in its history on the bow of a ship. And that can only point in one direction

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The military balance in Asia was long sustained on an unspoken premise: the technological and operational superiority of the United States was unquestionable. Today that premise is already not taken for granted and, in fact, every nnew movement in the region is forcing us to recalculate times, capacities and margins for maneuver. Because China is “eating the toast” of the rest. A cannon as a symptom. The appearance of a unpublished Chinese naval cannon of 155 mm mounted on a test ship is not an isolated detail, much less a trivial one, but a sign of a much broader trend: Beijing is systematically expanding the scope and versatility of its naval power in coastal scenarios. We are talking about a weapon that, with almost 22 tons of weight and the capacity to fire guided ammunition, represents a leap in caliber compared to the current 130 mm of the Chinese Navy and aims directly at strengthen support capacity of fire in amphibious operations, especially in a hypothetical scenario over Taiwan. More range, more precision, more pressure. The jump to 155 mm is not only a question of size, but technological ecosystem. That caliber opens the door to guided projectiles, high-speed ammunition and even future developments that can offer cheaper and more sustainable alternatives to missiles in certain contexts, something that the United States has also explored with mixed results. China appears to be learning from American missteps (as the Zumwalt case and its prohibitive projectiles) and moving forward with a solution that combines traditional power and ambition without renouncing the logic of saturation war. The design is distinguished from existing large-caliber guns, such as the H/PJ/45, aiming for a caliber of 155 mm. Amphibious warfare as an axis. They counted the TWZ analysts that the new barrel fits into a wider expansion of the PLA’s amphibious capabilities, with large assault ships and auxiliary platforms designed to consolidate beachheads. In this context, long-range naval fire does not replace missiles, but the csupplement with volumepersistence and a lower cost per shot. The strategic signal is clear: China is not only accumulating missiles, but is building a complete range of options to dominate the nearby air and maritime space, especially in its immediate periphery. The Washington Contrast. And while Beijing tests new systems and accelerates development cycles, the United States drags debates on value of naval fire support, cancels programs like the railgun after years of investment and reconverts ships designed for a doctrine that never came together. Washington remains technologically superior in multiple areas, but has shown many doubts in define what combination of systems needed for a high-intensity confrontation against a power on par. China, on the other hand, appears to be aligning its industry, doctrine and production with a coherent strategic objective. A mass pointing in a direction. China has just mounted the bow of a ship largest naval cannon of its history, a structure of almost 22 tons that symbolizes something more than a technical advance. We are talking about a type of investment that is not designed for exhibitions or for routine patrols, but for every specific scenarios where fire sustained over solid ground can tilt the outcome of an operation. In other words, when a power like Beijing adapts its industry, its ships and its doctrine around that type of capability, the message is anything but ambiguous: it is setting the stage for a specific goal. Image | x In Xataka | The new fear of Western fleets is not nuclear. They are conventional submarines armed with surprise and a flag: China In Xataka | China’s best weapon doesn’t fire a single bullet: 300km ‘moving wall’ to close sea routes instantly

We sensed that Japan was very serious. The first shot at the JS Asuka with its electromagnetic cannon has confirmed it

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In July Japan advertisement Something that surprised the world: he had physically mounted his riel cannon on the JS Asuka ship. In other words, the nation was already navigating with a science fiction weapon that the United States developed in the past, but had abandoned. A clear message that they were going very seriously. A message that has now taken full form. The Japanese milestone. Japan has achieved historical advance when performing the First documented test of a naval electromagnetic cannon fired at a real ship, installing a prototype in the Experimental ship JS Asuka. The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) He has just confirmed That between June and July 2025 this essay was carried out successfully, which marks a before and after in the global race for new generation weapons. As we said at the beginning, this achievement takes on greater relevance because the United States Navy, than He led the field between 2005 and 2022, He left the project Due to its technical difficulties, while Japan He has persevered in search of a capacity that could redefine the naval war in Asia-Pacific. Technology, remains and possibilities. The so -called Railgun, capable of launching projectiles at hypersonic speeds Up to Mach 6.5 With charges of five megajulaios, it offers decisive advantages: Broad ammunition than missile in front of hypersonic missiles. However, it continues to face great technical challenges: Huge electrical consumption, complex cooling systems, the need to reconfigure the internal spaces of the ships and the extreme wear of the cannons after tens of shooting, which compromises precision and safety. The use of Asuka as a test platform reflects the need for open space on deck, something difficult to replicate in operating ships without expensive modifications. From prototype to operational weapon. Japan has invested in this field since mid -decade of 2010shooting in land facilities and designing naval and land versions mounted on trucks. The Ministry of Defense has already shown more compact turret models, designed to integrate into futures 13DDX destroyers or even in the modern ships of the Mayan class. ATLA seeks to improve The useful life of cannons, reduce energy consumption and achieve a viable shooting cadence, objectives that will determine if Railgun goes from being an experimental prototype to a real weapon in the fleet. A weapon for the era of hypersonic threats. In a strategic scenario where China develops long -range missiles and Russia experiences with hypersonic projectilesJapan contemplates the Railgun in response to the saturation of aerial defenses. His speed of shooting, his low projectile cost and his ability to attack VeloS targets make him A possible alternative To interceptor missiles, whose replacement in the sea is almost impossible. This context explains Tokyo’s insistence on maintaining the project despite technical obstacles. Competition and cooperation. Plus: Japan is not alone in this effort. China has been experimenting with Railgunswith the appearance of a prototype on an EPL Navy ship In 2018although its current state is uncertain. Türkiye too He has shown advanceswhile the United States, despite closing its program, is Taking advantage of technology of ammunition developed for land applications. In parallel, Japan has sealed Agreements with France To collaborate in the development of this technology and maintain contacts with the US Navy, opening the door to future cooperation. Strategic reading If the Japanese Railgun exceeds its engineering injuries, it will emerge as the first operational case that converts a technological promise fleetrebalancing the cost-interceptor equation against saturations and rapid threats. The United States could be reached with less friction thanks to its inheritance and a possible cooperation with Tokyo. China would do the same if you see a clear advantage in area denial, and it is possible that Türkiye would capitalize on land and point defense applications. In terms of tendency, everything points to a coexistence: missiles for the long value, railguns for fire volume and shooting cost, and energy weapons directed for terminal/short range, each covering its niche in a multicapa defense architecture. Continuity of military ingenuity. In short, Railgun symbolizes both the attractiveness and difficulties of military innovation. As at other times in history, when gunpowder or guided missiles promised to transform war, the question is not only if technology works, but if can adapt to logistics, costs and strategy of each country. One thing is clear: Japan, with Your demonstration On board Asuka, it is placed at the forefront of a race that is not over, and that could define how naval wars are fought in the second half of the 21st century. Image | Maritime Self -Defense Force of JapanAtla In Xataka | The JS Asuka is already navigating with an electromagnetic cannon on deck. And that can only mean one thing: Japan is serious In Xataka | China is building an electromagnetic canyon of space airplanes, a project that NASA abandoned due to lack of funds

The JS Asuka is already navigating with an electromagnetic cannon on deck. And that can only mean one thing: Japan is serious

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It is not a render or a model: he Japanese Riel Canyon is already physically mounted in the JS Asukaa ship designed to experiment with new technologies. The images, captured from The port of YokosukaThey show the weapon without their exterior housing, apparently ready for the last settings before a possible test at sea. Everything indicates that this test is close. It could even have already been done, although for now there is no official confirmation. The published images by the user @Gov_vessel_fan They show the exposed cannon, without the external roof that normally hides it. At first glance, everything indicates that it is the same prototype as the Agreement, Technology and Logistics Agency of the Japanese Ministry of Defense (ATLA) has tried in controlled conditions. It is not clear if the design has evolved significantly, but its appearance coincides with the one that ATLA has shown publicly on other occasions. Extreme speed, extreme wear One of the great challenges of Riel cannons is the extreme wear. The friction generated when firing high -speed projectiles causes a rapid tube deteriorationaffecting both precision and reach. According to data collected by Naval Newsthe previous trials of the Japanese prototype have achieved speeds of up to 2,000 meters per second, with a useful life of the 120 projectile cannon. Click to see the publication in x Installing a rail cannon is not simply a matter of space. This type of weapons requires a huge amount of energy to function, in addition to cooling systems capable of dissipating the heat generated. All that occupies volume, consumes resources and demands a very careful integration. That is why the JS Asuka, with its wide rear cover and its role as a floating test bench, is ideal for this development phase. Click to see the publication in x Although the current prototype looks bulky and little integrated, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has more ambitious plans. In the DSEI Japan 2025 fairthe authorities They showed a model Much more stylized of the weapon, already thought for operational use. According to National Defense MagazineKazumi Ito, director of the ATLA Equipment Policies Division, confirmed that the development “is progressing”, although he acknowledged that there are still “various challenges” ahead. The intention, yes, is clear: to integrate this technology into new generation destroyers. For years, the United States Navy led the development of Riel cannons, but in 2022 he decided to officially abandon the project after multiple delays and technical complications. He never did such advanced tests. Japan, on the other hand, has chosen to continue exploring this route, And he is doing it in collaboration with the North American country. Images | Maritime Self -Defense Force of Japan | @Gov_vessel_fan In Xataka | China is building an electromagnetic canyon of space airplanes, a project that NASA abandoned due to lack of funds In Xataka | They are not fighters, they are planes of the Slovakia government: the day an Airbus A319 and a Fokker 100 stole the show

China already has an army of drones and firefighters. And fight the fire to cannon

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In recent days, a video has gone viral in Chinese networks: that of a skyscraper 150 meters with flames at the top. The special thing is that, fighting the flames there were no human firefighters, but drones. And, however futuristic it is, the craziest thing is that those drones are not alone: ​​next to you there are dogs, Robot dogs that have already been incorporated into the Fire Department. Fire drones. Fire can appear at any time. In Spain we know well, especially in summerand fighting it is dangerous for specialists. A way to give a first response to fire is Through robots and drones. But apart from being able to fight the fire without putting us at risk, the advantage is that they can reach high points to which a human would take longer to access. That’s why being able to fly, basically. In the video that we leave on these lines we can see some maneuvers in which two strategies against fire are raised. One is the most striking: robots that, armed with hoses, expel water and foam to placate the flames that appear abroad. As we say, it is something we carry years Seeing in different maneuvers in China. Fighting the fire to missile. Thus, there are several drones that can already rise to 200 meters and start fighting the flames in less than 30 seconds. It is a figure that a human cannot match and that gives time to land equipment to address the entrance to the building and rescue work. One of those models is the HZH CF30a drone with six blades capable of loading up to 30 kilos of weight and that has an interesting feature: it can be equipped with a multitude of tools, from emergency equipment for survival work to missile pitchers that are thrown into the interior to placate the flames from within. EHANG 216F. But there are also manned vehicles. An example is the EHANG 216-Fsimilar to the one that has already completed Test flights for the National Police of Spainbut focused on tasks of extinction and fire assessment in upper skyscrapers. With 16 propellers, an electric motor per propeller, a maximum speed of 130 km/Hy a flight time of 21 minutes, firefighters can use it in two ways. One, as an identification vehicle. Thanks to the camera and sensors like lidarThey can identify the location of the most critical points to act. The second, as a direct action vehicle thanks to its pressurized nozzle to expel fire extinction fluid and its six projectiles full of dry dust superfine. The payload they can transport is 220 kilos and the idea is that the cities fire stations can respond to fires in high -rise buildings that are within a three -kilometer radius with respect to the station itself. Special Unitree B2. Beyond the autonomous and manned drones, another recent added to the Fire Response forces are the United Square robots. Yes, the New Chinese technological jewel that has put to fight to two of his robots. A few weeks ago, They announced A version of your UNITREE B2 Designed for emergencies in dangerous environments. It is a modular robot that can be used within flames buildings to locate the focus, evaluate the level of gases or, directly, use a water and foam cannon that can be coupled to the spine. This model is reinforced with more resistant joints that help greater security when the robot is move through complicated landsuch as stairs or collapsed buildings. As we say, it has several modules that can be installed, being one of them a kind of “shield” that expels water not to turn off the fire, but to prevent the robot from overheating and can, thus, continue to operate in complicated conditions with fire. Rescue robots. And that there is so much device focused on rescue and emergency work in China is not a coincidence. It is something that is being promoted from companies and Governmentas demonstrates the recent International Emergency Exhibition of the Yangtze River Delta. Although it seems a specific name, the Expo has become a meeting point in which innovations are shown in the field of security, rescue work and disaster prevention. 500 companies from 20 countries gathered to show their technology, being models such as that of Unitree some of the main dishes of the event. Because, in the end, China is not alone in this. Japan already has its “Dragon firefighter”To combat the fire and we are clear that they can also be Help in natural disastersas forest fires. Images | UNITREE, Ehang In Xataka | In China patrol a new unstoppable police robot: identifies objectives, launches networks, gas bombs and almost never rests

A technology 20 years ago took Ukraine to the Russian bombers. Moscow’s response comes from China: a laser cannon

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With the passing of the days, more data about The covert operation which carried out Ukraine in the heart of the air bases of Moscow. Recall: a swarm of more than 100 drones hidden in trucks managed to destroy an important part of the Russian fleet of Strategic bombers. Now the technology that made Spiderweb, and what is Russia’s response to contain Ukrainian drones: a laser weapon … from China has been revealed. Cheap drones and free software. As I counted The medium 404behind the flight of the army of drones was not a sophisticated and secret technology. On the contrary, the devices were driven By Ardupilotopen source software created two decades ago by unmanned aviation enthusiasts. The use of this software, a free system originally designed for civil tasks such as agriculture, rescue or mapping, allowed Ukraine to coordinate that swarm of drones with autonomous navigation functions, air stabilization, waiting modes and contingencies for signal loss, even in a hostile environment saturated with interference and without GPS. Born of leisure … for war. Ardupilot He was born in 2007 of the personal project From Chris Andersonformer editor of the Wired media, who with Lego and Arduino pieces He built a drone browsing system that would later evolve in an open overall source community. What began as a homemade and collaborative experiment ended up being the operational core of a great impact military offensive. As He counted the mediumthe astonishment of its creators in the face of the war use of its software was notable: they never imagined that a tool designed for civil use would end up helping to destroy Russian strategic fighters. Although The website De Ardupilot promotes its use “for the peaceful benefit of all”, its open character makes it impossible to restrict. Irony resides that, while large corporations develop closed and expensive armamentUkraine has managed to use free access tools to execute attacks that remodeled the balance of power. Internet. What happened also leaves another teaching. The technological war between Ukraine and Russia is also a Communities Warforums and repositories. The software that allowed the attack developed collectively over years by programmers and fans distributed worldwide, many of which never imagined that their work would be used in combat. Neither Ardupilot nor its creators can prevent it, and although its code of conduct explicitly facilitates militarization, there is no restrictive license: knowledge is already in the hands of Who wants to use it. In the context of the current conflict, this means a silent revolution: it is not only the armies that free wars, but also free software developers. Ardupilot The Made in China answer. Before the gigantic industry Of low -cost drones that is hitting its troops, Russia has revealed an unprecedented development: a Chinese laser system To tear down drones, they report several Telegram proruse channels. Although it has not yet been officially confirmed, Images and videos disseminated They show a military vehicle shooting a laser beam capable of drilling metal plates and setting fire to drones in full flight. The appearance of the system coincides with the characteristics of the SHEN NUNG 3000 OR THE 5000 MODELan anti -gluvated weapon presented by China and that would also have been delivered to Iran. Analysts of the International Institute for Strategic Studies They point out thatalthough with some modifications, the system used by Russian forces has been derived directly of Chinese design. In fact, Russian military have confirmed that it is already In the hands of units as The Spetsnaz of the nomadic unit, and have even celebrated its effectiveness as an advance against previous technologies considered ineffective or excessively expensive. SHEN NUNG China, Iran and Russia. The entrance of this technology expands the analysis. The growing cooperation Technological between Beijing, Moscow and Tehran is reflected in the circulation of systems Like Shen Nungdeveloped by the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics. Although its operational use is still limited and its real abilities have not been tested in high -intensity scenarios, its mere presence on the battlefield indicates a qualitative change: the powers that seek to challenge the western order are sharing advanced capabilities, many of them before reserved for a handful of countries. Plus: The appearance of this system in Russian territory coincides with recent information that indicates that they will also go I would be using itconfirming that it is available in the market and has already been exported. From Ukraine to the Middle East. The use of laser weapons is not exclusive to the Moscow-Pekín-Teherán axis, of course. Israel has also recently deployed Your Iron Beam system (known as Magen or in Hebrew) to intercept Hezbollah dronesa weapon that combines response speed, precision and low cost per shot. The Israeli system, developed by Rafael and the Air Force, is still in the final test phase, but has already been used in combat. United States, meanwhile, has deployed experimental units of laser weapons in advanced positions and ships, although the advances have been slower than expected due to technical challenges such as the sensitivity of the components, thermal limits and reduced efficacy in adverse environmental conditions. Promise and fragility. Be that as it may, and although these weapons represent a significant advance in the anti -aircraft defense, They are still vulnerable: They have a limited scope, their performance depends on the weather, and require specialized maintenance. Even so, in an environment where drone swarms are increasingly frequent and difficult to intercept with traditional systems, lasers offer a solution attractive. Their low cost per shoot and their ability to operate without physical ammunition make them an emerging alternative, especially for countries that seek to overcome technological asymmetries. Between codes and science fiction. The irruption of a Chinese laser system In the Russian-Ukrainian Front marks a turning point in the use of directed energy weapons and in the global geostrategic dynamics. What until recently seemed a matter of fantastic literature is now a real instrument of combat and deterrence. In parallel, Ukraine has been able … Read more

An electromagnetic cannon capable of reaching 3,000 shots per minute

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‘Doom’‘Fallout‘,’Halo‘ either ‘Crysis‘They are some of the video games they have played with the idea of ​​the so -called Gauss riflesweapons that make use of magnetic fields to make the impossible possible: launch metal projectiles at a speed that escapes reason without a flash or backward, even absent from any sound. In universes like ‘Ghost in the Shell‘or movies like’Minority Report‘We have seen similar ideas, but sow within science fiction. Therefore, what China has announced is extraordinary. The weapon of the future. In an advance that could radically transform the concept of modern armament, scientists from the Popular Liberation Army of China have presented the development of the first Coilgun of the world Without condenseran electromagnetic cannon capable of reaching a fire cadence of 3,000 shots per minute. This figure, unattainable for traditional firearms and well above US commercial models such as The GR-1 “Anvil” (limited to 100 shots per minute), it has been possible thanks to a radical redesign of the feeding system: instead of using the traditional capacitors to store and release energy, the new weapon is directly fed by Lithium batteries matrices high performance. The approach eliminates recharge times between shots, considered so far the Achilles heel of electromagnetic weapons, and opens a path to achieve continuous fire at speeds so far exclusive to science fiction. MILIMETRIC PRECISION. The experimental prototype (revealed in a study reviewed by pairs published in the Journal of Gun Launch & Control) has a compact design Bullpup typeinspired by the Belgian subfusil P90and use 20 25 mm copper coils each. Its operation is based on sensors that activate accurately semiconductor nanoseconds of power (IGBT), feeding each fair 2 millimeters before the projectile enters it and Cutting The energy 35 millimeters after its exit. This sequential activation allows maximizing acceleration without generating inverse resistance, thus increasing the energy efficiency of the system. The weapon can shoot metal projectiles to 86 m/s speedswhich makes it appropriate for riot control, although its design is scalable for lethal applications. In addition, it includes algorithms of temporary position mappingsimulations of finite elements to optimize the shot and thermal dissipation systems that prevent the overheating of the batteries, even with current peaks of 750 amps. Invisible tactical advantages. The researchers highlight a series of key advantages over the first prototypes of years ago (video on top) that could make technology a reference in future military operations: There is no flash In the mouth of the cannon, the shot is silent and the level of lethality can be adjusted according to the situation. These characteristics make the Chinese coilgun an ideal candidate for, for example, covert missionssuppression operations and urban environments. Plus: the fire rate (five times higher than that of a AK-47 rifle) allows to create a kind of Continuous projectile wall which can saturate any attempt at enemy response in situations of disturbances or short -distance fighting. Of course, the study authors themselves recognize that there are still important limitations: precision is still low compared to traditional ballistic weapons and the battery recharge time Round an hourwhich conditions its continuous use in prolonged operations. New era? It is the question that floats with an announcement that will now have to show in public. On paper, China has achieved with this coilgun not only a technical milestone, but also a possible redefinition of portable weapons New generation. The conjunction between power electronics, millimeter control algorithms and advances in lithium batteries and semiconductor chips allows us to think about the near future where electromagnetic weapons are not science fiction, but more common in military arsenals. Researchers have stressed that the current prototype has a Non -lethal orientationbut its technical foundations already allow much more powerful, versatile and difficult to track variants. In a global context where technological supremacy is increasingly a decisive factor in geopolitical conflicts, Chinese development marks a new turning point that could alter the balance of power in advanced personal weapons. Image | CCTV In Xataka | China has just triumphed in a key military technology that USA parked: the rail and hypersonic speed cannons In Xataka | China is building an electromagnetic canyon of space airplanes, a project that NASA abandoned due to lack of funds

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