warship

Japan’s Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) has released new pictures from testing of a prototype electromagnetic railgun aboard the testbed warship JS Asuka earlier this year. ATLA also asserts that it is the first time anyone has successfully fired a ship-mounted railgun at an actual target vessel. Japan continues to push ahead with railgun development, a technology the U.S. Navy notably halted work on in the early 2020s, despite showing promise, due to significant technological hurdles.

JS Asuka, a one-of-its-kind dedicated experimental vessel with a 6,200-ton-displacement belonging to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), was first spotted with the railgun in a turret installed on its stern flight deck in April, as TWZ reported on at the time. Additional views of the ship in this configuration emerged afterward.

“ATLA conducted the Ship-board Railgun Shooting Test from June to early July this year with the support of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force,” according to a post yesterday on the agency’s official Instagram page. “It’s the first time that a ship-mounted railgun was successfully fired at a real ship.”

One of the pictures accompanying ATLA’s Instagram post, seen at the top of this story, which was also shared on the agency’s other social media accounts, shows the railgun being fired. What looks to be a radar array and an electro-optical and/or infrared camera system are also seen in the image on a separate turret.

Another, seen below, shows a tug-like ship in the crosshairs of a targeting system. Additional pictures of the tug have now also emerged clearly showing target boards on the port and starboard sides of its funnel, as well as one facing the stern.

So far, ATLA has not released any imagery of target vessels actually being struck by projectiles fired from the railgun mounted on Asuka. The agency says more details will be provided at its upcoming Defense Technology Symposium in November.

Back in 2023, ATLA said it had conducted the first-ever successful firing of a railgun from any ship. The agency did not name the vessel used in those tests.

#ATLA has accomplished ship-board firing test of railgun first time in the world with the cooperation of the JMSDF. To protect vessels against air-threats and surface-threats by high-speed bullets, ATLA strongly promotes early deployment of railgun technology. pic.twitter.com/MG5NqqENcG

— Acquisition Technology & Logistics Agency (@atla_kouhou_en) October 17, 2023

ATLA has been working on railguns since the mid-2010s and has also conducted test firings at facilities on land. The agency and the JMSDF have a clear eye toward developing an operational weapon that could be integrated onto Japanese warships.

ATLA has previously shown renderings of potential railgun installations on the future 13DDX destroyer, as well as existing Maya class destroyers (also known as the 27DDG class). The Japanese Ministry of Defense has also publicly shown a model of a railgun in a much more streamlined turret compared to the one tested aboard Asuka.

The video from ATLA below, which the agency put out last year, also depicts ground-based truck-mounted railguns.

Speaking through an interpreter at a panel discussion at the DSEI Japan 2025 exposition earlier this year, Kazumi Ito, principal director of the equipment policy division at ATLA, said his country’s railgun efforts were “progressing,” but acknowledged “various challenges,” according to National Defense Magazine.

Railguns use electromagnets instead of chemical propellants to fire projectiles at very high velocities. Historically, they have had significant power generation and cooling requirements, which has, in turn, typically made them physically very bulky. As TWZ has previously noted, mounting the experimental railgun turret on Asuka‘s flight deck made good sense given the ample open space it offered. A more traditional installation on an operational warship would require finding sufficient space, especially below deck, for the various components, which could require extensive modifications that are costly and time-consuming.

The wear and tear that comes from sustained firing of projectiles at very high speeds presents additional challenges for railguns. Rapidly worn-out barrels can lead to degraded range and accuracy, and increase the risk of a catastrophic failure.

ATLA has reportedly been able to demonstrate the ability to fire rounds at a velocity of around 4,988 miles per hour (2,230 meters per second; Mach 6.5) while using five megajoules (MJ), or 5 million joules (J), of charge energy in previous tests. The agency has at least previously had a goal of achieving a muzzle velocity of at least 4,473 miles-per-hour (2,000 meters-per-second) and a barrel life of 120 rounds are among previous testing goals, according to Naval News. Separate reports have said that ATLA has been trying to reduce the weapon’s power demands, as well.

At the same time, the potential rewards from developing a practical railgun suitable for operational military use are great. In addition to applications against targets at sea and on land, the weapons have long held promise in the anti-air role. As TWZ has written in the past:

“In principle, a practical electromagnetic railgun would offer a highly capable and flexible weapon system that can rapidly engage a wide array of targets at sea, on land, and even in the air, and at considerable ranges. Japan has previously expressed interest in this capability explicitly to help protect against incoming hypersonic threats. Such a weapon would also offer benefits in terms of magazine depth and cost compared to traditional surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, given the small size and lower unit price of the individual rounds.”

“When it comes to warships, in particular, where physical space is at a premium and where options for reloading missiles at sea can be at best extremely limited, having a weapon system firing lower-cost munitions from a large magazine and that can engage a broad swath of target sets would be a clear boon.”

With its potential capabilities, Japan has not been alone in pursuing railguns, especially for naval applications. The U.S. Navy was notably active in this realm between 2005 and 2022, but, despite promising progress for a time, shelved that work in the end in the face of persistent technical issues. By that point, plans for an at-sea test had been repeatedly pushed back. The U.S. Army also experimented with ground-based railguns in the same general timeframe. The Army is now leveraging the ammunition technology from the Navy’s abortive railgun effort as part of a new program to develop a mobile 155mm howitzer for use as an anti-air weapon, as you can read more about here.

ATLA has reportedly met with U.S. Navy officials to discuss leveraging its past railgun work and raised the possibility of greater collaboration in the future.

Back in 2018, a turreted railgun also emerged on a ship belonging to China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The current status of that design or other Chinese railgun developments is unclear. China has at least been experimenting with this technology since the 1980s.

Work on railguns, including for potential naval use, in Turkey has received public attention in recent years, as well. Other countries globally are at least exploring future railgun capabilities. Last year, Japanese authorities signed a deal with their counterparts in France to cooperate on railgun developments.

ATLA is now set to share more details about progress on its railgun program, including test firing against actual target ships, in November, and more details could begin to emerge in the interim.

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A U.S. defense official has confirmed to TWZ that two Venezuelan F-16s flew near a U.S. Navy vessel earlier today. A statement from the Pentagon says the ship was in “international waters” and warned the South American nation from taking “any further action to obscure, deter or interfere with” the U.S. military’s counter-narcotics efforts in the region. This move comes just two days after U.S. authorities announced that American forces had killed 11 suspected drug smugglers in a boat transiting the South Caribbean.

The Pentagon’s announcement about the encounter otherwise provided no additional details. CBS News was first to report on the incident, citing “multiple Defense Department officials,” and described it as a “show of force” involving two armed Venezuelan F-16s. The outlet also named the U.S. Navy ship as the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Jason Dunham. The Associated Press also subsequently reported the involvement of some of Venezuela’s fleet of F-16A/B jets, which it first received from the United States in the 1980s, and the USS Jason Dunham.

The Dunham is one of at least eight warships the Trump administration previously dispatched toward Venezuela as part of an effort to target criminal organizations and narco-terrorism in the region.

Though aimed at groups considered narco-terrorist organizations, an official with direct knowledge of these operations told TWZ last week that they are also aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. He was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency. He and 14 others, including several close allies, were hit with federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy with the Colombian FARC insurgent group to import cocaine.  The U.S. government has issued a $50 million reward for Maduro’s capture.

This is a developing story.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Iranian state media describe the confrontation as ‘tense’, while US military says the encounter was ‘professional’.

Iran has said it warned a United States Navy destroyer to change course as it approached Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, but the US has claimed the confrontation was “professional” and had “no impact” on its naval mission.

Iranian state media published video and images of Wednesday’s incident – the first direct encounter reported between Iranian and US forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June – taken from a helicopter dispatched to confront the USS Fitzgerald guided missile destroyer.

“US destroyer ‘Fitzgerald’ attempted to approach waters under Iran’s monitoring, in a provocative move”, Iranian state television said.

In video footage of the reported encounter, a helicopter is seen flying in close proximity to the warship and an Iranian crew member can be heard issuing what appeared to be a radio warning in English to the warship, ordering it to change course as it was approaching Iran’s territorial waters at about 10am local time (06:00 GMT).

Iranian state media have described the encounter as a tense exchange.

IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News on Wednesday released footage it claimed showed an Iranian navy helicopter forcing the USS Fitzgerald, a US guided missile destroyer, to alter its course. The report said the warship had approached waters under Iran’s supervision in the Sea of Oman. pic.twitter.com/gcfMQ23K6f

— Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 23, 2025

The US destroyer reportedly responded by threatening to target the Iranian aircraft if it did not leave. The vessel eventually departed the area upon continued warnings from the Iranian military.

US Central Command disputed the Iranian account of tension, calling the incident a “safe and professional interaction”.

Asked about the encounter, a US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity with the Reuters news agency, also downplayed its seriousness.

“This interaction had no impact to USS Fitzgerald’s mission, and any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods and attempts by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to spread misinformation,” the official said.

The official, who said the interaction took place entirely in international waters, identified the aircraft as an Iranian SH-3 “Sea King” helicopter.

The US military inserted itself into Israel’s war against Iran last month when it bombed Iranian nuclear sites. US President Donald Trump hailed the strikes as a “spectacular” success that “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.

But media reports in the US, citing intelligence assessments, suggest the campaign was only partially successful, with just one of the three Iranian nuclear sites – the Fordow facility – reportedly destroyed.

In an interview broadcast on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was committed to continuing its nuclear programme for peaceful purposes, and that his country is prepared for any future war that Israel might wage against it.

He added that he was not optimistic about the ceasefire between the countries.

SEOUL, July 22 (UPI) — North Korea plans to build another 5,000-ton destroyer by October 2026, state-run media reported Tuesday, following the launch of two warships earlier this year.

Workers at the Nampo Shipyard held a rally on Monday and “pledged to build another new-type destroyer by October 10, 2026,” the official Korea Central News Agency reported.

The date marks the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.

Pyongyang launched its first 5,000-ton destroyer, the Choe Hyon, at the Nampo Shipyard in April. That vessel is armed with a wide range of weapons, including nuclear-capable cruise missiles, according to North Korean reports.

Photos released by the North showed that the Choe Hyon’s missile and radar systems resemble those found on Russian vessels, prompting speculation that Pyongyang received technical assistance from Moscow in its development.

North Korea has deployed troops, artillery and weapons to Russia to aid in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, and is believed to be receiving much-needed financial support and advanced military technology for its own weapons programs.

A second destroyer, named the Kang Kon, suffered an accident at its launch ceremony in May that left it listing on its side.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who was in attendance at the launch, called the mishap a “criminal act” and warned of serious consequences for those found responsible. At least four officials were arrested in the aftermath.

The Kang Kon was repaired and relaunched in June, although analysts have questioned whether it is fully operational. At that ceremony, Kim vowed to “commission two destroyers of the same class or higher into the navy every year.”

At Monday’s rally, the shipyard manager urged workers to uphold the ruling party’s “plan for building a powerful army” and to achieve “miraculous success … in the building of another new-type warship,” KCNA reported.

The workers began construction of the new destroyer immediately after the rally, KCNA said.

SEOUL, June 6 (UPI) — North Korea righted a capsized 5,000-ton warship and moored it at a pier in the Chongjin Shipyard on the country’s east coast, state-run media reported, two weeks after a failed launch that leader Kim Jong Un condemned as a “criminal act.”

“After restoring the balance of the destroyer early in June, the [restoration] team moored it at the pier by safely conducting its end launching on Thursday afternoon,” the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

“The team will start the next-stage restoration after the reexamination of a group of experts into the overall hull of the destroyer,” KCNA said

The article corresponds with commercial satellite imagery analyzed by North Korea-focused website 38 North, which reported Thursday that the North had managed to launch the ship after returning it to an upright position earlier this week. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also confirmed the ship had been righted in a press briefing Thursday.

The next phase of the repair will take place at Rajin Dockyard over the next seven to ten days, the KCNA report said.

Jo Chun Ryong, a senior official from the ruling Workers’ Party, was quoted as saying that the “perfect restoration of the destroyer will be completed without fail” before a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party central committee in late June.

Kim Jong Un demanded that the warship be restored by the start of the party congress and warned of serious consequences for those found responsible for the launch mishap.

Kim was in attendance at the destroyer’s botched launch on May 21, and called it a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism which is out of the bounds of possibility and could not be tolerated.”

At least four officials have been arrested so far, including vice department director of the Munitions Industry Department Ri Hyong Son, according to state media.

South Korea’s military assessed that the North had attempted to “side-launch” the vessel by sliding it into the water sideways rather than launching it from a drydock, a technique analysts believe Pyongyang had never used before.

The destroyer was the second warship introduced by North Korea in recent weeks, following the launch of its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon destroyer at the Nampo Shipyard on April 25. That vessel is armed with a wide range of weapons, including supersonic cruise missiles and strategic cruise missiles, according to North Korean reports.

Photos released by the North showed that the Choe Hyon’s missile and radar systems resemble those found on Russian vessels, prompting speculation that Pyongyang received technical assistance from Moscow in its development.

North Korea has deployed troops, artillery and weapons to Russia to aid in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, and is believed to be receiving much-needed financial support and advanced military technology for its own weapons programs.

On Thursday, Kim Jong Un told Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu that Pyongyang would continue to “unconditionally support” Moscow, according to KCNA.

Full restoration of the North Korean navy destroyer is expected before a major communist party meeting later this month.

North Korea has raised a capsized warship and moored it at a port in the country’s northeast for repair, after the vessel was damaged during a failed inaugural launch in May, the country’s state news media reports.

KCNA reported that “after restoring the balance of the destroyer early in June, the team moored it at the pier” in the city of Chongjin on Thursday.

The report on Friday aligns with South Korea’s military assessments and recent commercial satellite images, which indicated that the 5,000-tonne destroyer has been restored to an upright position following the “serious accident” on May 21, when it suffered damage to its hull after a transport cradle detached prematurely during a launch ceremony.

The failed side-launch of the ship, which was witnessed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, also left the vessel partially capsized in a port.

Kim described the incident as a “criminal act caused by absolute carelessness”. As part of a probe into the accident, four officials were arrested and accused of tarnishing North Korea’s national dignity, according to KCNA.

Experts will now examine the warship’s hull for the next stage of restorations, to be carried out at Rajin Dockyard over the coming week to 10 days, KCNA said. The ship’s full restoration is expected to be completed before a ruling party meeting later this month.

Jo Chun Ryong, a senior official from North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, was quoted by KCNA as saying that the “perfect restoration of the destroyer will be completed without fail” before the deadline set by the country’s ruler, Kim.

The damaged warship is North Korea’s second known destroyer and is seen as a crucial asset in Kim’s goal of modernising his country’s naval forces.

The South Korean military estimates, based on its size and scale, that the new warship is similarly equipped to the 5,000-tonne destroyer-class vessel Choe Hyon, which North Korea also unveiled last month.

Pyongyang has said the Choe Hyon is equipped with the “most powerful weapons”, and that it would “enter into operation early next year”.

South Korea’s military said the Choe Hyon could have been developed with Russian assistance, possibly in exchange for Pyongyang deploying thousands of soldiers to help Moscow fight Ukraine.

Kim has framed the modernisation of his military as a response to threats from the US and South Korea, who are key allies and regularly conduct military drills together.

The North Korean leader has also said that the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be the next step in strengthening his country’s navy.

On Wednesday, Kim met with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang in the latest sign of the countries’ deepening ties, which were elevated when they signed a mutual defence pact in June last year that obliges them to provide immediate military assistance to each other using “all means” necessary if either faces “aggression”.

North Korea has arrested a fourth official over the failed launch of a new warship that has enraged the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un.

Ri Hyong-son, deputy director of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Munitions Industry Department, was “largely responsible for the serious accident” last week, state-run news agency KCNA said on Monday.

The 5,000-ton destroyer had tipped over and damaged its hull, in what Kim had described as a “criminal act” that “severely damaged the [country’s] dignity and pride”.

The vessel is being repaired under the guidance of an expert group, KCNA said.

Mr Ri, who is part of the party’s Central Military Commission, is the highest level official arrested over the incident so far.

The commission commands the Korean People’s Army and is responsible for developing and implementing North Korea’s military policies.

Over the weekend, Pyongyang also detained three officials at the northern Chongjin shipyard, where the destroyer was built and where its launch failed.

The officials were the chief engineer, its construction head and an administrative manager.

Kim earlier said Wednesday’s incident was caused by “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism”.

It is not clear what punishment they might face, but the authoritarian state has been known to sentence officials it finds guilty of wrongdoing to forced labour and even death.

It is uncommon for North Korea to publicly disclose local accidents, though it has done this a handful of times in the past after failed satellite launches.

Some analysts believe Kim’s swift and severe response was meant as a signal that Pyongyang will continue to advance its military capabilities.

“This sends a clear message to South Korea and the US that North Korea isn’t going to stop in trying to repair and strengthen its naval technology,” Edward Howell, a North Korea expert at Oxford University told ABC news.

A commentary on Seoul-based Daily NK, a news outlet focussing on North Korea, suggests that Kim’s “transparency, however reluctant” shows he views naval modernisation as such a critical priority, and that “even public failures cannot derail the broader narrative of military advancement”.

Last week’s shipyard accident comes weeks after North Korea unveiled a similar warship in another part of the country.

Kim had called that warship a “breakthrough” in modernising North Korea’s navy and said it would be deployed early next year.

North Korea has detained three shipyard officials over an accident during the launch of a new warship on Wednesday, state media has reported.

Parts of the 5,000-ton destroyer’s bottom were crushed during the launch ceremony, tipping the vessel off balance.

An investigation into the incident, which North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un described as a “criminal act”, is ongoing.

KCNA, North Korea’s official news agency, identified those detained as the chief engineer of the northern Chongjin shipyard where the destroyer was built, as well as the construction head and an administrative manager.

The report said that the three were “responsible for the accident”.

On Friday, KCNA said the manager of the shipyard, Hong Kil Ho, had been summoned by law enforcers.

Satellite images showed the vessel lying on its side covered by large blue tarpaulins, and a portion of the vessel appeared to be on land.

North Korea’s state media did not mention any casualties or injuries at the time, downplaying the damage.

KCNA reported that there were no holes on the ship’s bottom – contrary to initial reports.

“The hull starboard was scratched and a certain amount of seawater flowed into the stern section,” the agency said.

Kim said on Thursday the accident was caused by “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism”.

He added that those who made “irresponsible errors” would be dealt with at a plenary meeting next month.

It is not clear what punishment they might face, but the authoritarian state has a woeful human rights record.

It is uncommon for North Korea to publicly disclose local accidents – though it has done this a handful of times in the past.

This particular accident comes weeks after North Korea unveiled a similar 5,000-ton destroyer, the Choe Hyon.

Kim had called that warship a “breakthrough” in modernising North Korea’s navy and said it would be deployed early next year.

SEOUL, May 23 (UPI) — North Korea began a full-scale investigation into an accident that damaged a new warship at its launch ceremony this week, state-run media reported Friday, with investigators vowing that those culpable “can never evade their responsibility for the crime.”

The accident occurred on Wednesday at the Chongjin Shipyard during the launch ceremony for the 5,000-ton destroyer. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who was in attendance, called the incident a “criminal act” and said it “could not be tolerated.”

South Korea’s military assessed afterward that the North had attempted to “side-launch” the vessel by sliding it into the water sideways rather than launching it from a drydock, a technique analysts believe Pyongyang had never used before.

Satellite imagery captured by Airbus Space and shared on X on Thursday by British research organization Open Source Centre showed the warship listing on its side, draped by blue tarpaulins. OSC called the coverings “a visible attempt to contain the disaster.”

While the North’s initial media account on Thursday claimed that sections of the ship’s hull were crushed during the launch mishap, Friday’s report in state-run Korean Central News Agency downplayed the damage.

“Detailed underwater and internal inspection of the warship confirmed that, unlike the initial announcement, there were no holes made at the warship’s bottom,” the KCNA report said.

The hull starboard was scratched and seawater flowed into the stern section, KCNA said, calling the extent of the damage “not serious.”

It would take around 10 days to restore the warship’s damaged side, the report added.

Kim Jong Un blamed government officials, engineers and shipyard workers for the incident, KCNA reported on Thursday. He warned that their “irresponsible errors” would be dealt with at a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party central committee next month.

The accident “brought the dignity and self-respect of our state to a collapse,” Kim said, and ordered the ship to be restored before the June meeting.

Hong Kil Ho, manager of the Chongjin Shipyard, was summoned by authorities, the KCNA report said Friday.

The ruling party’s Central Military Commission instructed investigators to determine the cause of the accident and find those responsible for it, KCNA said.

“No matter how good the state of the warship is, the fact that the accident is an unpardonable criminal act remains unchanged, and those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime,” the military commission said.

The destroyer was the second warship introduced by North Korea in recent weeks, following the launch of its 5,000-ton Choe Hyon destroyer at the Nampo Shipyard on April 25. That vessel is armed with a wide range of weapons, including supersonic cruise missiles and strategic cruise missiles, according to North Korean reports.

Photos released by the North showed that the Choe Hyon’s missile and radar systems resemble those found on Russian vessels, prompting speculation that Pyongyang received technical assistance from Moscow in its development.

North Korea has deployed troops, artillery and weapons to Russia to aid in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, and is believed to be receiving much-needed financial support and advanced military technology for its own weapons programs.

The warship damaged during the launch accident appears to be similarly equipped to the Choe Hyon, South Korea’s military said Thursday.

Vessel damaged as a result of ‘absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism’, state media says.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reprimanded officials over a “serious accident and criminal act” that resulted in damage to a newly built warship, state media has reported.

The 5,000-tonne destroyer suffered damage to its hull when a transport cradle detached prematurely during a launch ceremony in the northeastern city of Chongjin, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday, blaming the incident on “inexperienced command and operational carelessness”.

After witnessing the incident, Kim made the “stern assessment” that the accident was caused by “absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism,” which “could not be tolerated”, the KCNA said.

Kim “warned solemnly” that officials responsible for the botched launch “would have to be dealt with” at the next meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, and “censured them for the fault”, according to the KCNA.

Kim ordered the warship to be fixed in time for a plenary meeting of the party’s central committee in June, describing the vessel’s restoration as “not merely a practical issue but a political issue directly related to the authority of the state”, according to the KCNA.

South Korea’s military said Pyongyang appeared to have failed to complete a side-launch of the ship, and it had partially capsized.

Official admissions of incompetence are uncommon in North Korea, where the ruling Kim family enjoys a near God-like status.

The disclosure comes after Kim attended the launch of a “new multipurpose destroyer” equipped with “the most powerful weapons” on April 25.

In state media reports at the time, Kim hailed the vessel as “indispensable in building up our capability for stoutly defending our maritime sovereignty” and an “important starting point of our journey towards building an advanced maritime power”.

“I feel infinitely honoured to proclaim the birth of the first warship of a new generation,” Kim was quoted as saying.