China has indicated plans are under way for a next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier armed with futuristic energy weapons including a rail gun, an electromagnetic weapon that the United States tried to develop but abandoned.

“China’s future nuclear-powered aircraft carrier can be equipped with more advanced defensive weapons, such as [a] high-energy laser weapon and electromagnetic rail gun,” said Liang Fang, a military commentator and professor at the Beijing-based National Defence University, during a programme aired by state broadcaster CCTV on Sunday.

An electromagnetic rail gun is a weapon system that uses electromagnetic force instead of gunpowder to accelerate metal projectiles at extremely high speeds.

Its core principle involves generating a strong magnetic field through electrical power, which then propels the conductive projectile along rails, launching it at hypersonic speed.

The technology offers advantages such as high muzzle velocity and low noise, though it consumes extremely high amounts of energy.