India issues tenders to advance indigenous electromagnetic railgun development

India has moved its electromagnetic railgun programme toward industrialisation by publishing two expressions of interest through Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi. The first, from Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, calls for a design and supply partner for the launcher’s barrel assembly and associated electrical hardware; the second seeks collaborators for the barrel’s mounting platform and drive mechanisms. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is targeting a 100-megajoule system that could launch an 18-kg projectile at speeds exceeding 2,000 m/s, with possible 155 mm calibres and ranges between 100 and 400 km.

Applications under study include naval strike, anti-ship and air-defence missions, mirroring efforts by the United States and other nations. Critical technical challenges involve delivering massive short-duration power pulses via capacitor banks and mitigating rail and barrel erosion, prompting research into advanced coatings and recoil systems by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE). Insights from the project may also benefit India’s electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) for carrier-based aircraft. While the configuration and performance specs remain undisclosed, the tenders mark a concrete step beyond laboratory prototypes toward a deployable weapon.