China touts new upgrade of microwave weapon systems

China claims its new microwave weapon is more powerful than its US equivalent and capable of shooting down drone swarms from 3km away.

- MAROOSHA MUZAFFAR

The announcement comes at a time of reputational damage for Beijing, after Chinese-made radar systems supplied to Venezuela were reported to have failed to provide early warning of the American raid on Caracas on Saturday that led to the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

China had publicly condemned the intervention as a “clear violation of international law”, confronting Washington at the United Nations over the move’s legality.

The developer of the Hurricane 3000 high-power microwave weapon recently said in an interview that the truck-mounted system can disable drones and drone swarms at ranges beyond 3km, which he claimed was longer than comparable US systems.

High-power microwave weapons offer a low-cost, low-collateral alternative to missiles and guns, with an almost unlimited firing capacity, and unlike lasers, they can cover a wide area, allowing “sweep-and-kill” attacks that are especially effective against drone swarms.

Shown publicly at China’s September military parade, the weapon is designed to move beyond short-range point defence to wider area denial, either operating independently or networked with lasers and conventional artillery in a layered anti-drone defence setup, according to Yu Jianjun, an expert from China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco).