The U.S. Navy spent years chasing the promise of electromagnetic railguns - high-velocity, low-cost firepower that could outpace rising missile threats. But after pouring hundreds of millions into the effort, the program collapsed under technical weight, leaving the Navy without the very capability it once called the future.
Japan saw that gap differently. Instead of walking away, Tokyo refined the concept, slowed the pace, and focused on making the technology survivable at sea. Now they’re the first to produce a railgun that not only fires reliably, but has proven itself in real maritime trials.
Let's take a look on why the U.S. abandoned the idea - and how Japan is turning it into a working weapon.