Latest news with #hypersonicmissiles
Jordan Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Jordan Times
Japan shows off futuristic 'railgun' at defence expo
Instead of using gunpowder to shoot an artillery shell, railgun technology uses electromagnetic energy to fire off a projectile along a set of rails at ultra-high velocity (AFP photo) MAKUHARI, Japan — As Japan's biggest defence exhibition kicked off this week, visitors got a close-up look at a model of its futuristic "railgun" that its makers hope will be able to shoot down hypersonic missiles. 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 in 2023 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.
South China Morning Post
14-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
China reveals tech ‘breakthrough' behind Pakistan's hypersonic strike on India
Chinese state media has hailed what is believed to be the first combat use of the country's hypersonic missiles , after Pakistan claimed they were used to destroy an Indian S-400 air defence system last week. Describing it as the dawn of a new era in warfare, official news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday that Pakistan's air strike had destroyed India's Russian-built air defence system in Adampur, in the border state of Punjab. Tensions escalated last week between India and Pakistan after New Delhi launched air strikes on Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Wednesday. India said it was responding to a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir last month – a deadly attack that Islamabad has denied being involved in. After India and Pakistan trade blows over Kashmir, will their ceasefire hold? After India and Pakistan trade blows over Kashmir, will their ceasefire hold? Following days of military exchanges, the two neighbours agreed to a ceasefire on Saturday that appears to be holding. During the fighting, Pakistan carried out a strike that was 'executed using hypersonic missiles launched from the JF-17 ', a Chinese fighter jet, Xinhua reported, quoting a statement from Pakistan's military. 'Precision-guided munitions were used to neutralise the advanced air defence asset,' the statement said. Footage released by Pakistani authorities shows two CM-400AKG missiles being used to carry out the mission. They were made by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, or CASIC. Details of the technology behind the operation were revealed days later by China Space News, a state-controlled publication co-sponsored by CASIC and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
