However, by 2021, the US military had given up on the electromagnetic gun programme, and there is no publicly available information on the fate of the GPS-guided shell project.
The Chinese team said that while the West may have had a head start in the research, they received no help from abroad.
“We had no guidance, not even a cursory introduction to guided missile navigation systems, especially the satellite navigation component,” wrote the team, led by Feng Junhong with the National Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Energy at the Naval University of Engineering, in a paper published in the Journal of Naval University of Engineering in November.
Electromagnetic launch weapons represent a potential game-changer on the battlefield. They offer the promise of delivering a barrage of cost-effective shells while maintaining the long-range and precision capabilities of missiles.
However, during launch, these weapons generate an intense electromagnetic field that can wreak havoc on delicate electronic components such as chips and antennas.
At the same time, these “smart” shells need to be able to receive weak satellite signals, which creates a contradiction with their electromagnetic shielding capabilities.
This dilemma has vexed scientists and engineers worldwide, including those in China.
In the paper, Feng and his colleagues disclosed a novel antenna design that can resist strong electromagnetic radiation while receiving high-precision positioning signals from the BeiDou military frequency band.
They also provided detailed information on the special internal structure of the BeiDou signal receiver.
During the launch of a shell, this receiver endures a force exceeding 25,000 times that of Earth’s gravity. Any flaw in its construction, such as the disconnection of wire interfaces, could lead the shell astray.
Also, as the shell hurtles through the air, it generates intense heat due to friction. To counter this, the Chinese scientists used a cost-effective, mass-produced aerogel – a remarkable feat of engineering – as a thermal barrier.
The navigation software for the weapon posed another significant hurdle. Unlike the steady course a vehicle takes on a road, shells whirl and sway erratically during flight, especially when altering course in varying air densities.
To mitigate this issue, the team devised a straightforward, yet potent, algorithm that ensures uninterrupted satellite communication throughout the shell’s trajectory.
Papers published by Chinese military scientists in open academic journals undergo rigorous security checks. It is unclear why China chose to disclose this progress at this time.
Recently, the Chinese navy has announced a series of breakthroughs in the field of electromagnetic weapons, including cutting-edge energy storage systems, extreme environment-resistant alloy material coatings, complex control and monitoring systems, and large-scale continuous firing tests.
Although the actual combat performance of these weapons remains to be confirmed, some war game simulations suggest that they may challenge the traditional military advantages of Western countries.
