Japan Deploys World’s First Railgun That Shocks Missiles At 7 Times The Speed Of Sound

Japan has revealed progress in its directed-energy weapons program, showcasing a refined railgun system aboard the test ship JS Asuka.

Photos released by Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) show the most advanced version yet of Japan’s railgun, underscoring the country’s steady investment in indigenous hypersonic and kinetic-energy weaponry. Vice Admiral Omachi Katsushi recently inspected the system aboard JS Asuka, the JMSDF’s testbed vessel operated by the Fleet Research and Development Command.

The railgun is the product of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA), with industrial support from Japan Steel Works a key naval gun manufacturer. Weighing in at eight metric tons and equipped with a six-meter-long barrel, the system has already demonstrated the ability to launch 40mm projectiles weighing roughly 320 grams at Mach 6.5. These speeds are set to increase as the system transitions from 5 MJ to a projected 20 MJ of charge energy.

Japan began formal railgun development in 2016 and initiated live-fire testing in 2022. Unlike the U.S. Navy’s railgun program—which ended public development in 2021 due to severe barrel degradation and cost overruns—Japan has remained committed. The American railgun reportedly failed after fewer than 30 firings. In contrast, Japanese engineers have prioritized two major technical challenges: ensuring projectile stability at hypersonic speeds and mitigating barrel wear from extreme electromagnetic stress.

Railguns function by using electromagnetic forces to accelerate inert projectiles to hypersonic velocities. Unlike missiles, they don’t rely on explosives, making them safer to store and less costly per shot. Japan’s version, already firing at Mach 6.5, positions the country among global leaders in electromagnetic weaponry.

Importantly, railguns overcome some limitations of other directed-energy weapons such as lasers, which suffer from line-of-sight constraints and atmospheric interference. A railgun’s projectile can engage over-the-horizon targets in all weather, delivering kinetic force with pinpoint accuracy.

Japanese defense strategists are exploring roles for the system beyond ship defense—such as anti-air fragmentation rounds for intercepting drones, or integration into layered defense systems to counter threats like hypersonic glide vehicles. Concept diagrams hint at multi-mission adaptability, including swarm defense and long-range strikes.

In the age of attritional warfare, particularly in maritime environments like the Red Sea where cheap drones challenge billion-dollar warships, the railgun presents a potential game-changer. Its combination of deeper magazines, all-weather capability, and lower per-shot cost addresses many of the core problems facing missile-based air defenses today.

Japan’s railgun progress may not grab headlines like flashy missile tests, but it represents a quiet technological leap forward. While the U.S. has shifted toward laser systems with mixed field performance, Japan’s perseverance in electromagnetic weaponry may soon yield the world’s first operational naval railgun.