It is not a render or a model: he Japanese Riel Canyon It is already physically mounted on the JS Asuka, a ship designed to experiment with new technologies. The images, captured from the port of Yokosuka, show the weapon without its exterior housing, apparently ready for the last adjustments before a possible test at sea. Everything indicates that this test is close. It could even have already been done, although for now there is no official confirmation.
The images published by the user @gov_vessel_fan show the exposed cannon, without the external cover that normally hides it. At first glance, everything indicates that it is the same prototype as the Acquisitions, Technology and Logistics Agency of the Japanese Ministry of Defense (ATLA) has tested under controlled conditions. It is not clear if the design has evolved significantly, but its appearance coincides with the one that ATLA has shown publicly on other occasions.
Extreme speed, extreme wear
One of the great challenges of the riel cannons is the extreme wear that suffers its components. The friction generated when firing high -speed projectiles causes a rapid tube deteriorationaffecting both precision and reach. According to data collected by Naval News, the previous essays of the Japanese prototype have achieved speeds of up to 2,000 meters per second, with a useful life of the 120 projectile cannon.
Click to see the publication in X
Installing a rail cannon is not simply a matter of space. This type of weapons requires a huge amount of energy to function, in addition to cooling systems capable of dissipating the heat generated. All that occupies volume, consumes resources and demands a very careful integration. That is why the JS Asuka, with its wide rear cover and its role as a floating test bench, is ideal for this development phase.
Click to see the publication in x
Although the current prototype looks bulky and little integrated, the Japanese Ministry of Defense has more ambitious plans. At the DSEI Japan 2025 fair, the authorities They showed a model Much more stylized of the weapon, already thought for operational use.
According to National Defense Magazine, Kazumi Ito, director of the ATLA Equipment Policies Division, confirmed that the development “is progressing”, although he acknowledged that there are still “various challenges” ahead. The intention, yes, is clear: to integrate this technology into new generation destroyers.
For years, the United States Navy led the development of Riel cannons, but in 2022 he decided to officially abandon the project after multiple delays and technical complications. He never did such advanced tests. Japan, on the other hand, has chosen to continue exploring this route, and is doing it in collaboration with the North American country.
Images | Maritime Self -Defense Force of Japan | @Gov_vessel_fan
In WorldOfSoftware | China is building an electromagnetic canyon of space airplanes, a project that NASA abandoned due to lack of funds
In WorldOfSoftware | They are not fighters, they are planes of the Slovakia government: the day an Airbus A319 and a Fokker 100 stole the show
