A China’s microwave weapon capable of shooting down satellites

Photo: scmp.com

China has unveiled a microwave weapon capable of shooting down satellites, South China Morning Post reports.

The system, consisting of several pulsed microwave emitters, is capable of generating directed pulses with a power of up to 100 gigawatts, although even pulses of 1 gigawatt are capable of damaging equipment in low Earth orbit. The lithium-ion capacitor-powered system allows the weapon to activate instantly even at minus 40 degrees Celsius.

The research has already moved from laboratory prototypes to practical prototypes, some of which have already been delivered to customers.

China’s high-power microwave (HPM) weapons can deliver an output of up to 100 gigawatts (GW), according to defence scientists – a milestone that could transform the future of warfare and stimulate advancements in civilian research and industry.

In a paper published this month in the journal High Power Laser and Particle Beams, researchers from the National University of Defence Technology (NUDT) detailed a series of advanced pulsed-power devices built by China’s military in recent years.

Particle beams – streams of atoms or subatomic particles accelerated to nearly the speed of light – have been the holy grail of space warfare. The idea is simple: fire a tightly focused beam of high-energy particles at an enemy satellite or missile, damaging it through sheer kinetic and thermal energy.

This is a rare public disclosure by the Chinese military of its high-power microwave arsenal.

“In recent years, driven by sustained and significant national strategic demands, China’s pulsed-power technology has advanced rapidly. The breadth and depth of research in this field now rank among the world’s foremost,” wrote the researchers, led by Zhang Jun of NUDT’s College of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies.

“Pulsed-power drivers for HPM generation have transitioned from laboratory prototypes to practical applications, evolving progressively from ‘functional’ to ‘high-performance’ and ‘durable’ systems,” they wrote.

The paper could serve as a reference for other nations assessing the vulnerabilities of massive satellite constellations.

…China has unveiled a microwave weapon capable of shooting down Starlink satellites? “…Some of which have already been delivered to customers”…

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