Japan keeps the naval railgun alive

Is the naval railgun dead, or are navies still developing it?

It is not dead: Japan is conducting serious shipboard trials and may broaden the program through European cooperation.

Japan has progressed beyond laboratory demonstrations to regular firing from ships. The program is also practicing full strip-down and field maintenance aboard the test platform, a sign that engineers are working toward operational use rather than a one-off demonstration. Cooperation with the Franco-German Saint-Louis Institute broadens the research base. Possible British and Italian participation remains rumor rather than settled commitment. The emerging focus on air defence makes the project a plausible practical weapon instead of an abandoned experimental gun.