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China mulls building nuclear-powered tank with 450km-range railgun in 2 decades

Published

15 September 2026

Topic

opportunities

Sectors

Defense Tech

Geography

China

Source

Read at amp.scmp.com

Verified

Fusion42 · 16 September 2026 · Fusion42 review

Chinese military researchers propose developing a nuclear-powered main battle tank equipped with a 450km-range electromagnetic railgun within two decades, focusing initially on integrating electromagnetic weapons into existing tank platforms and progressing towards miniaturised nuclear power and advanced energy storage systems.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Defense Tech.

◆ The Wire takeaway

You face a future where crewed combat vehicles may be replaced by uncrewed platforms powered by nearly unlimited energy, shifting defence priorities from traditional armour to electronic warfare and high-energy weapons. Start exploring uncrewed combat systems or power-dense energy storage technologies to stay ahead.

Coverage

1 source · 15 Sep 2026

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Defense Technuclear-powered-tankrailgunmilitary-innovationchina-defensesmall-modular-reactor