Overview
- Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a new pistol‑like electromagnetic launcher completed testing and met operational requirements.
- The device stores energy in batteries and uses multi‑stage coils to accelerate metal projectiles, with power settings that let operators dial down speed to incapacitate rather than kill.
- The launcher features a roughly 30‑centimeter barrel, a central grip with a rear magazine, and an electronic display for battery, ammo, and firing mode, and it produces little flash, smoke, or noise.
- Secondary outlets circulated figures such as a 1,000–2,000‑rounds‑per‑minute rate of fire and wood‑board penetration at dozens of meters, but these specific claims lack independent verification.
- The announcement fits a broader Chinese push on electromagnetic weapons that includes reported work on railguns and a 2023 test of a very large coil gun by a PLA naval engineering institute.