Why the Chinese Military Wants Magnetized Plasma Artillery

ttps://nationalinterest.org ^ | March 13, 2021 | by Michael Peck

[RomanSoldier19]

ere’s What You Need to Remember: China claims to be developing “magnetized plasma artillery.”

The Chinese military recently published a notice inviting researchers to devise a weapon that sounds like a sort of electromagnetic rail gun—which uses magnetism instead of gunpowder to fire shells—that several nations are developing. But actually deploying railguns has been hampered by the size of the weapon and especially the vast amount of electrical energy needed to propel a shell to speeds of greater than Mach 7. For example, despite years of research and vast sums of money, the U.S. Navy appears less than optimistic about fitting railguns on its warships.

But Chinese scientists believe that magnetized plasma artillery will be so light and energy-efficient that it can be mounted on tanks.

“The notice invites tenders for a theory-testing and a launch system for magnetized plasma artillery,” said China’s state-owned Global Times. “Although the weapon sounds as if it comes from a sci-fi movie, it will probably not shoot high-energy plasma but ultra-high velocity cannon shells.”

[RomanSoldier19]

The invention discloses magnetized plasma artillery. A magnetic field is arranged in an artillery body pipe, the direction of the magnetic field points to an artillery port along the direction of an axis of the artillery body pipe, the magnetic field strength is gradually reduced from an inner wall of the artillery body pipe to the axis of the artillery body pipe, and the gas in the artillery body pipe can be ionized into the plasma for forming a plasma sheath layer on the inner wall of the artillery body pipe under the action of the magnetic field while the artillery is launched. The magnetized plasma sheath layer formed on the inner wall of the artillery body pipe of the magnetized plasma artillery has stress anisotropic characteristic and has thermal insulation function, and then, the radial force for the artillery body pipe is greatly reduced, the driving force for the bullet is greatly improved, the heat resistance of the artillery body pipe is greatly improved and the service life is prolonged.

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[Deaf Smith]

What did they replace the rifling with?

[blueunicorn6]

There was a story this morning about a guy who ordered a Pilates ball, whatever that is, from some Chinese outfit and the Chinese warehouse worker sent him a three headed stuffed duck.

Can you imagine giving orders to Chinese Soldiers.

“Load the plasma cannon, comrade!”

“Somebody help Private Lee to get the carp back out of the cannon.”

[E. Pluribus Unum]

And I want a pony!

[blueunicorn6]

“While the artillery is launched”

They’re going to launch the whole artillery?

We’re doomed, I tell ya.....doomed.

[Chode]

sounds like nothing... reads more like a gas/plasma air-bearing

tanks use/disuse/use smooth bore guns over the years

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Make mine a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range.

[taxcontrol]

I am of the opinion that a two stage system / gun might be more efficient. Stage 1 would be either steam or powder based and is used to get the shell up to a certain speed. Essentially using the first stage to overcome resting inertia.

Then second stage (the electromagnetic rail) provides a boot to speed while the projectile travels down the barrel. Certainly more complex but might provide a “bridge” until the current technical constraints can be over come.

[broken_clock]

Only what ya see here, pal.

[circlecity]

This is nothing new. They had one in Quake 3 multiplayer over a decade ago.

[ruiner]

Does this technology make more sense for space/lunar weaponry?

[Pearls Before Swine]

What did they replace the rifling with?

A hypersonic musket? (Your question was my first thought, too.)

[Georgia Girl 2]

The Chi-Coms never develop anything. They steal it from others.

[buwaya]

Most tank guns, such as those on the Abrams and German Leopard and all modern Russian and Chinese tanks too, these days are smoothbore.
The projectiles are fin stabilized.

[doorgunner69]

“the U.S. Navy appears less than optimistic about fitting railguns on its warships. “

Some on FR have posted several times the popular mechanix claims these have been deployed for years.

Particle beams as well.

[Truthoverpower]

Hey China.

Thermonuclear weapons. Thousands.

Ok ? Knock
It off

[AppyPappy]

China is one drought away from completely collapsing.

Hot magma artillery. Freeper please.

[Nifster]

Great. Let us know when it actually works

[Basket_of_Deplorables]

I’m scratching my head, wondering exactly how a magnetic field can generate a plasma. I thought electric fields did that—stripped away electrons.