PRC/PLAN Laser and Rail Gun Development Thread

kurutoga

Junior Member
Registered Member
There gotta be something wrong with this report. It's already weird enough they talk about penetrating 80mm steel as it's some kind of accomplishment. Then they say frontal armor of MBT would also translate roughly to 80mm. I don't think we can believe any number come out of this article.
On an average MBT, the physical armor being 80mm or so, is quite reasonable. But the overall "equivalent" armor is 700mm after all the bells and whistles.

Weight is a major concern
 

kriss

Junior Member
Registered Member
^^^ Actually the articles listed the frontal armour of MBT at 800mm, but not sure why they equate that to the 80mm penetrated in the test. Either a typo or the in the test the round penetrated 800mm at 100km, which imo seemed pretty unlikely.
They definite say it's 80mm for an MBT. It's not a typo they are just that igronant.
On an average MBT, the physical armor being 80mm or so, is quite reasonable. But the overall "equivalent" armor is 700mm after all the bells and whistles.

Weight is a major concern
There is not a single modern MBT with armor of 80mm physical thickness. Actually with modern composite armor their physical size is larger than their RHA counterpart.
 

no_name

Colonel
They definite say it's 80mm for an MBT. It's not a typo they are just that igronant.

There is not a single modern MBT with armor of 80mm physical thickness. Actually with modern composite armor their physical size is larger than their RHA counterpart.
Ok my bad they used two different units and I didn't read carefully.
 

Mirabo

Junior Member
Registered Member
They definite say it's 80mm for an MBT. It's not a typo they are just that igronant.

There is not a single modern MBT with armor of 80mm physical thickness. Actually with modern composite armor their physical size is larger than their RHA counterpart.

The upper front plate of the M1 Abrams is precisely 80 mm in physical thickness, angled 82 degrees from the vertical.

So technically... They're not wrong... Technically. -cough-

Edit: Some sources claim 38 mm based on declassified documents on the M1A1 and M1A2 (including SEP v2) as well as ultrasonic scanning. Either way, that's a really thin plate.
 
Last edited:

Hendrik_2000

Lieutenant General
China has successfully tested Coil Gun not sure if this is different than Electromagnetic gun But it can hurl an immense weight of projectile. first posted by SCMP
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The Chinese Navy has allegedly test-fired what it has termed the "world's most powerful coil gun," reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Coil guns (
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) fire projectiles at great speed by accelerating them using electromagnetism rather than chemical energy (as in conventional firearms).
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, the weapon accelerated a 274 lbs (124 kg) projectile to a speed of 435 mph (700 kph) in less than 0.05 seconds. While that sounds impressive, to put it into perspective, a regular artillery shell tends to travel at speeds of around 2,237 mph (1,000 meters per second).

Futuristic weapon

If reports are accurate, this would be a coil gun's largest known projectile launch to date. Although the precise details and range of the weapon are closely guarded, a projectile traveling at those velocities could strike a target several kilometers distant with relative ease.

The projectile in a coil gun remains centered in the EM coil during launch, preventing contact with the barrel wall and allowing for rapid, repeated firing without wear on components. For several reasons, coil guns have the potential to revolutionize warfare by enabling faster, more accurate, and devastating attacks on enemy targets. Additionally, they could be used to launch missiles or send satellites into space.

The technology is nothing new, with the United States making early breakthroughs with a 120mm-caliber electromagnetic coil mortar test device at the
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, which can fire a projectile weighing 40 lbs (18 kg). The Chinese team, led by Professor Guan Xiaocun from the Naval University of Engineering, highlights the advantages of the coil gun, such as higher launch speeds, lower launch costs, and shorter preparation time, compared to traditional artillery.
 

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
China has successfully tested Coil Gun not sure if this is different than Electromagnetic gun But it can hurl an immense weight of projectile. first posted by SCMP
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The Chinese Navy has allegedly test-fired what it has termed the "world's most powerful coil gun," reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Coil guns (
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
) fire projectiles at great speed by accelerating them using electromagnetism rather than chemical energy (as in conventional firearms).
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
, the weapon accelerated a 274 lbs (124 kg) projectile to a speed of 435 mph (700 kph) in less than 0.05 seconds. While that sounds impressive, to put it into perspective, a regular artillery shell tends to travel at speeds of around 2,237 mph (1,000 meters per second).

Futuristic weapon

If reports are accurate, this would be a coil gun's largest known projectile launch to date. Although the precise details and range of the weapon are closely guarded, a projectile traveling at those velocities could strike a target several kilometers distant with relative ease.

The projectile in a coil gun remains centered in the EM coil during launch, preventing contact with the barrel wall and allowing for rapid, repeated firing without wear on components. For several reasons, coil guns have the potential to revolutionize warfare by enabling faster, more accurate, and devastating attacks on enemy targets. Additionally, they could be used to launch missiles or send satellites into space.

The technology is nothing new, with the United States making early breakthroughs with a 120mm-caliber electromagnetic coil mortar test device at the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
, which can fire a projectile weighing 40 lbs (18 kg). The Chinese team, led by Professor Guan Xiaocun from the Naval University of Engineering, highlights the advantages of the coil gun, such as higher launch speeds, lower launch costs, and shorter preparation time, compared to traditional artillery.

Coil gun uses different principles than rail guns if that’s what you are asking.
 

dingyibvs

Junior Member
China has successfully tested Coil Gun not sure if this is different than Electromagnetic gun But it can hurl an immense weight of projectile. first posted by SCMP
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The Chinese Navy has allegedly test-fired what it has termed the "world's most powerful coil gun," reports the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Coil guns (
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
) fire projectiles at great speed by accelerating them using electromagnetism rather than chemical energy (as in conventional firearms).
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
, the weapon accelerated a 274 lbs (124 kg) projectile to a speed of 435 mph (700 kph) in less than 0.05 seconds. While that sounds impressive, to put it into perspective, a regular artillery shell tends to travel at speeds of around 2,237 mph (1,000 meters per second).

Futuristic weapon

If reports are accurate, this would be a coil gun's largest known projectile launch to date. Although the precise details and range of the weapon are closely guarded, a projectile traveling at those velocities could strike a target several kilometers distant with relative ease.

The projectile in a coil gun remains centered in the EM coil during launch, preventing contact with the barrel wall and allowing for rapid, repeated firing without wear on components. For several reasons, coil guns have the potential to revolutionize warfare by enabling faster, more accurate, and devastating attacks on enemy targets. Additionally, they could be used to launch missiles or send satellites into space.

The technology is nothing new, with the United States making early breakthroughs with a 120mm-caliber electromagnetic coil mortar test device at the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
, which can fire a projectile weighing 40 lbs (18 kg). The Chinese team, led by Professor Guan Xiaocun from the Naval University of Engineering, highlights the advantages of the coil gun, such as higher launch speeds, lower launch costs, and shorter preparation time, compared to traditional artillery.

It's a type of EM gun, different from the other common type which is the railgun. It's tougher to achieve high speeds with a coilgun given the same barrel length, but properly designed there would be no mechanical wear which is a major constraint for the railgun.
 

no_name

Colonel
It's a type of EM gun, different from the other common type which is the railgun. It's tougher to achieve high speeds with a coilgun given the same barrel length, but properly designed there would be no mechanical wear which is a major constraint for the railgun.
It will have heavier, bulkier barrel too.
 
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