Archive · 16 Sep 2026
China Researchers Outline Nuclear-Powered 450-Kilometre Railgun Tank Concept
Chinese researchers have described a possible tank that uses electricity instead of gunpowder to fire shells.
The tank would use a powerful electromagnetic railgun.
On paper, the railgun could fire a projectile very fast and reach targets hundreds of kilometres away.
The final version would get electricity from a small nuclear reactor.
The reactor would keep charging special energy-storage devices for each powerful shot.
The researchers do not expect the complete nuclear version before 2045.
They propose first testing smaller electromagnetic weapons on diesel-powered vehicles.
The idea is still a research concept, and many difficult engineering problems remain.
Chinese researchers proposed a 60-tonne tank with a 50-megajoule electromagnetic railgun.
The conceptual weapon could theoretically fire projectiles at 3.5 km/s over distances of up to 450 kilometres.
A 10-megawatt lead-bismuth-cooled fast reactor would power the post-2045 version.
The proposed development plan begins with hybrid-diesel systems before 2035 and advances through 2045.
Researchers say the project faces major engineering challenges involving power storage, shielding, heat, and railgun durability.
- Who
- Researchers from Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group and Beijing Institute of Technology proposed the concept.
- What
- A 60-tonne nuclear-powered main battle tank with a 50-megajoule electromagnetic railgun and active electromagnetic armour.
- When
- The initial hybrid-diesel stage is planned before 2035; an intermediate stage is planned for 2035–2045, with the nuclear version targeted for after 2045.
- Where
- The concept was published in the Chinese defence journal Acta Armamentarii; a deployment location was not specified.
- Why
- The proposed nuclear power system is intended to provide the large, continuous energy supply needed for railgun firing and vehicle operation.
- Vehicle weight
- 60 tonnes
- Proposed railgun
- 50 megajoules
- Theoretical muzzle velocity
- 3.5 km/s, approximately Mach 10.2
- Theoretical strike range
- 450 kilometres
- Proposed reactor
- 10-megawatt-class lead-bismuth-cooled fast reactor
- Reactor space limit
- 2 cubic metres, with radiation shielding capped at 3 tonnes
- Fuel replacement interval
- At least five years, according to the concept