China Develops Motor for Electromagnetic Weapons

China has produced an electric motor that would meet the heavy demand for electricity from China's latest electromagnetic weapon system, which may involve electromagnetic railgun and ballistic missile technologies.

Academy of Aerospace Solid Propulsion Technology under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has recently delivered a batch of newly developed brushed DC electric motors to an unnamed unit. The motors will be used in China's latest electromagnetic weapon system, a Global Times report said quoting an article published by the academy on WeChat on June 10.

The new motors can operate in special environments including in high-intensity magnetic fields and are resistant to strong blasts. The delivery marks China's constant improvement on DC electric motors, Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The electromagnetic weapon system that needs the motors might be China's electromagnetic railgun. Other weapons that need a servo mechanism, such as ballistic missiles, may also require such motors, said Song.

The Chinese Navy will likely be the first in China to equip vehicles with an electromagnetic railgun. Type 055, China's first domestically developed 10,000-ton class missile destroyer, would be a great fit, said Song.

Photos spread on the internet since January 30 showed that a Type 072 III landing ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy was equipped with a main gun that is suspected to be an experimental electromagnetic railgun, reported Science and Technology Daily on February 5.

An electromagnetic railgun can fire projectiles via electromagnetic force at incredibly destructive velocity. It can reach farther ranges compared with standard artillery and maintain high accuracy, said Song.