DoD Warns China to Develop Electromagnetic Railguns, Directed Energy Weapons

Sputnik News

03:03 03.05.2019(updated 03:04 03.05.2019)

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - China has been developing a number of potentially disruptive technologies, including electromagnetic railguns and directed energy weapons, to grow its military capabilities, a new report by the US Department of Defence (DoD) revealed on Thursday.

"China is pursuing a number of advanced military capabilities with disruptive potential such as hypersonic weapons, electromagnetic railguns, directed energy weapons, and counterspace capabilities," the Defence Department said in its 2019 China Military Power Report to Congress.

China successfully tested hypersonic glide vehicles last year, according to the report.

"In August 2018, China successfully tested the XINGKONG-2 (Starry Sky-2), which it publicly described as a hypersonic waverider vehicle," the report said.

The Defence Department said China's willingness to rapidly deploy emerging technologies at a massive scale means its military would quickly reap the benefits of any scientific breakthrough.

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