China's Naval Railgun: At Sea Since 2017, US Program Canceled

Today’s news features significant advancements in military technology and geopolitical developments across several regions. From naval railguns to drone defense systems, here’s a look at the latest updates:

China’s Naval Railgun Deployment

China has had an electromagnetic railgun mounted on a naval vessel at sea since December 2017, a technology the United States spent 15 years and $500 million failing to field, according to 19FortyFive. A photograph of the weapon, showing an enormous boxy turret on the Haiyangshan, spread across the Chinese internet in winter 2018. The railgun fires a metal slug using an electricity pulse, achieving velocities beyond chemical propellants, demonstrating China’s progress in a challenging technology.

EU Considers Funding Ukraine-Led Missile Defense

The European Commission is considering financial support for FREYJA, a pan-European anti-ballistic missile project initiated by Ukraine, according to Kyiv Post Defense. EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated on Friday, September 11, that funding could come from the 90 billion euro Ukraine support loan or the 1.5 billion euro European Defence Industry Programme. This initiative, involving 10 countries and major defense firms, aims to combine established European components with a cost-effective Ukrainian interceptor to address Europe’s shortage of anti-ballistic missiles by 2027.

US Army Tests Robotic Machine Gun Against Drones

The U.S. Army has tested an autonomous machine gun system, named Bullfrog, against drone targets in the Arizona desert, Defence Blog reports. Built by Allen Control Systems, the system pairs a standard M240 machine gun with a robotic turret mounted in a pickup truck. The demonstration occurred at Cibola Range during exercise Falcon Peak 26.2, a recurring counter-small drone experiment. Bullfrog uses computer vision and targeting software to find, track, and fire at drones, offering a significantly cheaper counter-UAS solution compared to missile-based systems.

Sweden’s Gripen E Fighter: Cost-Effective Against Stealth Threats

Sweden’s Saab JAS 39 Gripen E fighter jet boasts a flight hour cost of $4,700 to $9,900, significantly less than the F-35’s $38,000 to $42,000, according to 19FortyFive. The Gripen E reportedly achieves relevance against stealth rivals through advanced electronic warfare capabilities, providing spherical coverage to detect, jam, and spoof threats. Coupled with an infrared search-and-track sensor, the Gripen can hunt passively without emitting radar signals, allowing a smaller nation to maintain air power without matching larger adversaries’ spending.

Saudi Arabia Shuts Oil Pipeline After Drone Attack

Saudi Arabia has shut down its 1,200-kilometer East-West oil pipeline after it was attacked by drones launched from Iraq, BBC World reports. The pipeline, which helps Saudi Arabia bypass the Strait of Hormuz and typically moves 4 to 5 percent of global oil supply, was closed as a precaution. Iraq admitted the drone attack originated from its Maysan governorate, leading to the removal of its operations commander in Maysan and an ongoing investigation. Saudi Arabia has chosen not to retaliate at this stage, following a call from Iraq’s prime minister.

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