PRC Peoples Liberation Army Navy

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Yes, not see more development on that rail gun development from Chinese Weibo or from Deino's X. However few months back found some talk in Chinese forums that the rail guns development still on going.

Still personally it's still bit early to discount rail gun. Japan already test their own version last year.


DEW seems so far being focus as part of anti missiles and anti drones defense. With advancement of hypersonic missile, more likely DEW can be the choices being taken as defense weapons for that. While rail gun more as missiles alternative (at least that's what I read from the prototypes program). So I guess the nature of target environment bit different between rail gun and DEW. So far PLAN seems going toward both of them, while on other side US on DEW but Japan seems keen on Rail Gun path. Perhaps both of them complement each other.
My understanding is the RG’s considerable velocity, hence KE depending on projectile mass, makes it a reasonable concept for high speed missile interception. The obstacle is rate of fire, energy requirements and rail durability seem to be the limiting criteria.
 

Redshift

Active Member

PLAN shown their prototype of Direct Energy Weapons on one their Type 71 Prototype. Shown they are catching up on the weapons program with US. Their Electromagnetic Rail Gun also being use one of their amphibious assets as testing platform.
The article is very speculative about what this looky likey laser device actually is and no information has been released by China on what it is. So as proof that China is catching up with anyone seems like a leap of faith

Didn't the USA massively back peddle on the whole railgun concept?
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
The article is very speculative about what this looky likey laser device actually is and no information has been released by China on what it is. So as proof that China is catching up with anyone seems like a leap of faith

Didn't the USA massively back peddle on the whole railgun concept?
There was an article a ways back that suggested the USN railgun project was somewhere between on the back burner and cancelled.
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group
So as proof that China is catching up with anyone seems like a leap of faith
They are catching up in weapons program. If you can't seems to accept Chinese abilities to catching up in tech. The article also stayed no official confirmation yet, but that's not something unusual with Chinese program. They are just do thing, and let everyone else try to guess what they are doing. However saying they are not catching up, also bit underestimate.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
China has four times the population of the US and instead of lawyers and accountants, their educators prioritize scientists and engineers instead of the former. It also helps to have the best espionage service (cyber and human) to obtain technology at a reduced cost albeit China has lots of cash and no whining population objecting to excessive military spending. The US, EU, and Japan/SKorea really need to counter this or China will move ahead before their demographics problems become an issue.
 

Redshift

Active Member
They are catching up in weapons program. If you can't seems to accept Chinese abilities to catching up in tech. The article also stayed no official confirmation yet, but that's not something unusual with Chinese program. They are just do thing, and let everyone else try to guess what they are doing. However saying they are not catching up, also bit underestimate.
I didn't say anything of the sort, and neither you nor I know the true tech state in either the USA or China, I just suggested that this particular siting wasn't exactly proof of catching up , because it's not.

The USA abandoned there railgun program for good reasons I imagine, which would suggest, to me, that they no longer consider it to be the (immediate) future.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
I didn't say anything of the sort, and neither you nor I know the true tech state in either the USA or China, I just suggested that this particular siting wasn't exactly proof of catching up , because it's not.

The USA abandoned there railgun program for good reasons I imagine, which would suggest, to me, that they no longer consider it to be the (immediate) future.
Well I guess a good reason was it didn’t deliver the desired capability required. Can China do better, don’t know. As per my previous posts, power requirements are likely part of the problem but I believe durability is even a bigger issue….but speculation on my part.
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group
I just suggested that this particular siting wasn't exactly proof of catching up , because it's not.
There's different between catching up in tech and catching up in weapons program. They are catching up in weapons program but not necessary yet proven in similar DEW tech. The context is different.
 

DDG38

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
Was about to post the same. $hit happens sometimes and it's 2000% better sinking at the dock than in deep water ... FYI, below is the un-paywalled WSJ article.

Yeah, not sure "shit happens" is the best response though to your first of class nuclear submarine sinking while alongside. At a basic capability indication level, this should give pause to those who think the PLAN by nature of quickly outbuilding other navies makes it #1.
 

Musashi_kenshin

Well-Known Member
Yeah, not sure "shit happens" is the best response though to your first of class nuclear submarine sinking while alongside. At a basic capability indication level, this should give pause to those who think the PLAN by nature of quickly outbuilding other navies makes it #1.
I quite agree. Can you imagine if HMS Astute had sunk after being launched, or the USS Virginia? The respective navies would have been very concerned.

I think it goes to show that whilst the PLAN might be quick at launching vessels, their quality might be suspect. Not least with the reported corruption within the CCP and military. Also the complete silence from the CCP on this indicates this wasn't a trivial problem.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Likely someone is in trouble for the sinking. The WSJ mentions the possibility of corruption as a possible reason, a decent assumption given some of the sudden sackings of senior officials. First water filled missile silos, now water filled subs.
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Interesting speculation from the WarZone site suggesting the recently sunk Type 041 was some kind of hybrid, conventional and nuclear power. A small nuclear reactor for additional battery charging and AIP does seem to be an decent idea, assuming cost isn’t offside and the power generation is sufficient.

 
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