China is currently testing the world’s most powerful naval gun and people with direct knowledge of a U.S. intelligence report say it will be ready for war by 2025. Railguns use electromagnetic energy instead of gunpowder to propel rounds, and China’s is capable of striking a target 124 miles away at speeds of up to 1.6 miles per second, according to the report. For perspective, a shot fired from Washington, D.C., could reach Philadelphia in under 90 seconds.
Railguns have long appeared on Russian, Iranian and U.S. military wish lists as cost-effective weapons that give navies the might of a cannon with the range of a precision-guided missile. The rounds used in China’s railgun cost between $25,000 and $50,000 each, according to the intelligence assessment. Though not an exact comparison since the weapons have different technologies, the U.S. Navy’s Tomahawk cruise missile has an estimated price tag of $1.4 million each. READ MORE
