Japan shows off futuristic 'railgun' at defence expo
Instead of gunpowder, railgun technology uses electromagnetic energy to fire a projectile along a set of rails at ultra-high velocity.
The round will then in theory destroy the target, which could be an enemy ship, drone or incoming ballistic missile, solely with its vast kinetic energy.
Other countries, including the United States, China, France and Germany, are also developing the technology, but Japan's navy last year claimed a world first by test-firing a railgun on a ship.
"A railgun is a gun of the future that fires bullets with electrical energy, unlike conventional artillery," an official from the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) within Japan's Ministry of Defence told AFP.
"It is expected that threats that can only be dealt with by railguns will emerge in the future," said the official, who did not want to be named.
The three-day DSEI Japan Conference defence fair, which began on Wednesday, comes as Japan adopts a more assertive defence policy and looks to sell more military equipment to other countries.
In particular, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Germany's Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) are competing for a major contract to supply the Australian navy with new warships.
Winning the multi-billion-dollar Project Sea 3000 contract to supply Australia with Mogami-class frigates would be Japan's largest postwar military export order, according to Japanese media.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
10 hours ago
- Euronews
China to resume seafood imports from Japan after Fukushima disaster
China will resume seafood imports from Japan that it banned in 2023 over worries about the discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, a Japanese minister has said. Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the agreement was reached after officials met in Beijing and the imports will resume once paperwork is complete. China said talks this week made "substantial progress," but did not confirm an agreement with Japan on the issue that has been a significant political and diplomatic point of tension. "Seafood is an important export item for Japan and a resumption of its export to China is a major milestone," Koizumi said. Japan's Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya also welcomed the move, saying: "It will be a big first step that would help Japan and China to tackle a number of remaining issues between the two countries." But officials said China's ban on farm and fisheries products from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, is still in place and that they will keep pushing toward their lifting. China's General Administration of Customs said in a statement that the two sides had held "a new round of technical exchanges on the safety issues of Japanese aquatic achieved substantial progress," but did not mention any agreement. China blocked imports of Japanese seafood because it said the release of the treated and diluted but still slightly radioactive wastewater would endanger the fishing industry and coastal communities in eastern China. Japanese officials said the wastewater will be safer than international standards and its environmental impact will be negligible. They said the wastewater must be released to make room for the nuclear plant's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks. Tokyo and Beijing have held three rounds of talks since March on the issue before reaching the agreement this week on the "technical requirements" necessary for Japanese seafood exports to China to restart, Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It did not say how long it may take before the actual resumption. Mainland China used to be the biggest overseas market for Japanese seafood, accounting for more than one-fifth of its seafood exports, followed by Hong Kong. The ban became a major blow to the fisheries industry, though the impact on overall trade was limited because seafood exports are a fraction of Japan's total exports. Japan's government set up an emergency relief fund for its exporters, especially scallop growers, and sought alternative overseas markets. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the Fukushima Daiichi plant, has said it would compensate Japanese business owners appropriately for damages from export bans. The nuclear power plant suffered meltdowns in three reactors after being heavily damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan. Water used to cool the reactor cores has been accumulating ever since and officials say the massive stockpile is hampering the cleanup of the site. The wastewater was treated and heavily diluted with seawater to reduce the radioactivity as much as possible before Japan began releasing it into the sea in August 2023. People inside and outside Japan protested the initial wastewater release and Japanese fishing groups said they feared it would further damage the reputation of their seafood. Groups in China and South Korea also raised concerns.
Fashion Network
15 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Craft and innovation meet in Loewe's 2025 Prize for Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki
Spanish luxury brand Loewe has announced the winner of its annual contemporary art and craft award. For the 2025 edition of its Craft Prize, Loewe—through its foundation established by the founding family—has honored Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki for his work 'Realm of Living Things 19.' . Created in 2024, the award-winning piece earned Aoki a €50,000 prize. The sculpture was crafted using anamorphic terracotta and various innovative force-application techniques. It underwent a smoking process and was finished with decorative earth-based materials and pencil markings. The work was recognized for its artistic merit, technical complexity, and innovation, particularly in its interpretation of traditional coiling methods. Aoki was selected from a pool of 30 finalists by a jury of 12 professionals from the worlds of design, architecture, journalism, criticism, and museum curation. Notable jurors included essayist and architect Frida Escobedo, architect and industrial designer Patricia Urquiola, architect Wang Shu, and Olivier Gabet, director of the decorative arts department at the Louvre Museum. In addition to the main prize, the jury also honored Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello for his work TM Bench with Bowl, crafted from recycled aluminum and inspired by globalization and power dynamics. Indian studio Sumakshi Singh was also recognized for Monument, a life-size reinterpretation of a 12th-century Delhi colonnade created with copper zari. 'As we celebrate the eighth edition of the prize, I am amazed by the incredible display of ingenuity, beauty, and craftsmanship shown by the finalists. To me, the magic of the prize lies in witnessing the ability of craft to surprise, innovate, and evolve year after year. It is an honor to see how the prize helps keep the craft alive and relevant,' said Sheila Loewe, president of the Loewe Foundation. All finalist works from the latest edition of the international competition—launched by the Loewe Foundation in 2016 in tribute to the house's roots as an artisanal workshop—will be on display from May 30 to June 29 at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. A digital exhibition of the entries will also be available online for public viewing. Founded in 1846 in Madrid, Loewe is a globally renowned luxury house, owned by French conglomerate LVMH, known for its craftsmanship and original creations. In March, Loewe's creative direction was handed over to design duo Jack McCollough and Lázaro Hernández of Proenza Schouler, following the departure of Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson. Anderson stepped down to take on the role of menswear design director at Dior, another house within French businessman Bernard Arnault 's luxury portfolio.
Fashion Network
15 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Craft and innovation meet in Loewe's 2025 Prize for Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki
Spanish luxury brand Loewe has announced the winner of its annual contemporary art and craft award. For the 2025 edition of its Craft Prize, Loewe—through its foundation established by the founding family—has honored Japanese artist Kunimasa Aoki for his work 'Realm of Living Things 19.' . Created in 2024, the award-winning piece earned Aoki a €50,000 prize. The sculpture was crafted using anamorphic terracotta and various innovative force-application techniques. It underwent a smoking process and was finished with decorative earth-based materials and pencil markings. The work was recognized for its artistic merit, technical complexity, and innovation, particularly in its interpretation of traditional coiling methods. Aoki was selected from a pool of 30 finalists by a jury of 12 professionals from the worlds of design, architecture, journalism, criticism, and museum curation. Notable jurors included essayist and architect Frida Escobedo, architect and industrial designer Patricia Urquiola, architect Wang Shu, and Olivier Gabet, director of the decorative arts department at the Louvre Museum. In addition to the main prize, the jury also honored Nigerian designer Nifemi Marcus-Bello for his work TM Bench with Bowl, crafted from recycled aluminum and inspired by globalization and power dynamics. Indian studio Sumakshi Singh was also recognized for Monument, a life-size reinterpretation of a 12th-century Delhi colonnade created with copper zari. 'As we celebrate the eighth edition of the prize, I am amazed by the incredible display of ingenuity, beauty, and craftsmanship shown by the finalists. To me, the magic of the prize lies in witnessing the ability of craft to surprise, innovate, and evolve year after year. It is an honor to see how the prize helps keep the craft alive and relevant,' said Sheila Loewe, president of the Loewe Foundation. All finalist works from the latest edition of the international competition—launched by the Loewe Foundation in 2016 in tribute to the house's roots as an artisanal workshop—will be on display from May 30 to June 29 at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. A digital exhibition of the entries will also be available online for public viewing. Founded in 1846 in Madrid, Loewe is a globally renowned luxury house, owned by French conglomerate LVMH, known for its craftsmanship and original creations. In March, Loewe's creative direction was handed over to design duo Jack McCollough and Lázaro Hernández of Proenza Schouler, following the departure of Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson. Anderson stepped down to take on the role of menswear design director at Dior, another house within French businessman Bernard Arnault 's luxury portfolio.
