AbstractThis paper describes the current status of the development of electromagnetic launchers such as the railgun at ISAS. The railgun is the most improved accelerator of Electromagnetic Launchers (EML). EML offers a potential for accelerating a projectile to much greater velocities than achieved with conventional powder guns or light gas guns. However, there has been little progress in increasing the velocity of EMLs since the experiment by Rashleigh and Marshall. A few experiments have been reported achieving velocities greater than 6km/s.The authors have achieved velocities greater than 6 km/s by reducing plasma leakage which is one of the factors limiting velocity.In this paper a 6 km/s launch is reported, compared with the results of two other shots considered from the viewpoint of plasma leakage, and the effect of entrainment of eroded material into the armature by rail ablation was discussed on the basis of simulated numerical calculations.