China’s new high-power microwave (HPM) weapons promise to redefine electronic warfare, countering US advancements in drone and space capabilities while closing the firepower gap between their warships.
This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in developing a compact HPM weapon capable of generating electromagnetic pulses comparable to a nuclear explosion.
The SCMP report mentions that China’s HPM weapon can generate electric fields up to 80,000 volts, comparable to the EMP pulses generated by nuclear explosions.
This weapon, still in laboratory testing, can disrupt or destroy electronic components within enemy systems. It mentions that the research behind it, conducted by a joint team from the National University of Defence Technology in Changsha and the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in Xian, overcame the challenge of preventing the weapon from self-destructing due to its intense pulses.
According to the report, the weapon uses phased-array transmission technology to precisely focus energy, increasing its range and damage effects and enabling simultaneous attacks on multiple targets. During tests, the weapon withstood over 5,000 full-power pulse emissions without breakdown, maintaining a high operating efficiency of 96.6%.
SCMP mentions that the development of this weapon is part of China’s efforts to counter potential threats from the US military, which plans to deploy HPM weapons in the Indo-Pacific region.
It notes that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is also pursuing anti-satellite capabilities, targeting communication satellites like Starlink, which played a significant role in the Ukraine war. It says this advancement marks a crucial step in China’s military technology, enhancing its strategic capabilities in electronic warfare.
China is actively developing ground and space-based counter-space capabilities, with HPM weapons as part of that arsenal. In an August 2024 article for the Journal of Strategic Studies, Jonas Berge and Henrik Hiim mention that China is advancing ground and space-based microwave weapons as part of its soft-kill counter-space strategy, targeting satellites with plausible deniability and minimal escalation risk.
Berge and Hiim note these weapons, along with electronic warfare and cyber tools, enable reversible or lasting disruption without creating debris or provoking retaliation.
China’s recent advancements in HPM weapons show its focus on these systems as a counter to drone swarms, which the US is actively developing through its Replicator initiative, which aims to expedite the fielding of expendable air, sea and land drone systems.
Far from China’s HPM weapons being mere laboratory experiments, The War Zone reported in November 2024 that during that year’s Zhuhai Airshow, China unveiled multiple HPM systems designed to disable drones and other aerial threats.
The War Zone mentions that the showcased HPM weapons, developed by state-run firms China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC) and Norinco, include a large planar array mounted on an 8×8 light armored vehicle chassis and a more extensive system installed on a Shacman SX2400/2500-series 8×8 truck.
China has fielded phased and planar array designs for HPM weapons. A planar array design, such as the ground-based HPM weapon described by The War Zone report, consists of multiple emitting elements arranged in a flat, two-dimensional plane. It focuses signals on specific directions but usually needs physical or mechanical movement to change the beam’s direction.
In contrast, the HPM weapon the SCMP reports about is a phased array design. While a phased array has multiple emitting elements like a planar array, the difference is that the beams can be electronically steered without physically moving the antenna. This advantage enables quick and precise focusing of HPM energy at targets.
Both systems are equipped with radar for detecting and tracking targets, allowing them to engage multiple threats simultaneously with their wide beams.
HPM weapons provide military advantages against multiple targets, such as swarming drones and LEO satellites. They can disrupt electronic systems without visible damage, are cost-effective, and are scalable for various platforms. Their wide beam allows the engagement of multiple targets at once.
However, they face challenges, including low efficiency, high energy consumption, and limited atmospheric range. Their large size also restricts deployment options.
Nevertheless, China may be working to solve the size and power limitations of its HPM weapons. For instance, in February 2024, Asia Times reported that Chinese scientists had unveiled a groundbreaking HPM weapon powered by Stirling engines, marking a significant advancement in directed-energy warfare technology.
This weapon, developed by a National University of Defense Technology team, utilizes four compact Stirling closed-cycle heat engines to convert thermal energy into mechanical energy efficiently. It drives HPM waves capable of disabling drones, military aircraft, and satellites.
The weapon’s superconducting coil generates a magnetic field of up to four teslas, significantly reducing energy consumption compared to existing technologies. Initial tests show that the weapon consumes only 20% of the energy needed by existing technologies and can function continuously for four hours.
China’s progress on HPM weapons could also enable them to be mounted on ship-based point defense against anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles, offering a feasible alternative to interceptor missiles, naval guns, railguns, and lasers.
In a May 2021 Proceedings article, James Winnefield mentions that HPMs can engage multiple targets simultaneously, operate at the speed of light, and produce near-instantaneous effects on electronic systems inside missiles. He also says they are less affected by adverse weather conditions than lasers.
However, he says HPMs have significant drawbacks, such as high energy consumption and the need for substantial power sources, which can limit deployment options. He also points out the potential for collateral damage to friendly systems and the psychological barrier of an invisible weapon with no firing signature or report, which poses challenges.
While the US faces difficulties in mounting directed-energy weapons such as lasers and HPMs on its ships due to cost, space, and power constraints on its aging Ticonderoga-class cruisers, maxed-out Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and its next-generation DDG(X) destroyer, which has been delayed until 2032, China is steadily building its fleet of large Type 055 cruisers which could accommodate the space and power requirements of HPM weapons.
Maritime Insight reported this month that China is building its 10th Type 055 cruiser, aiming to build 16 such ships. This situation is unlike the US Navy’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers, which have almost reached the end of their service lives and whose operating costs drain funds that could be used for more feasible projects.
China deploying HPM weapons aboard its Type 055 cruisers could free up even more space for anti-ship missiles, reducing the need for interceptor missiles and gun ammunition for point defense and bringing it closer to firepower parity with the US Navy.
In a December 2024 article for the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IISS), Johannes Fischbach mentions that as of 2024, the PLAN has achieved over 50% of the US Navy’s vertical launch system (VLS) cells fielding nearly 4,300 VLS cells on 84 principal surface combatants, compared to the US Navy’s 8,400 cells on 85 ships.
Fischbach says this progress is marked by the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) increased production rates, with the Type 052D destroyers and Type 055 cruisers contributing significantly. In contrast, he points out that the US Navy’s VLS capacity has declined due to the retirement of aging Ticonderoga-class cruisers and slower new ship construction rates.
According to him, the US Navy’s current production rate of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers is 1.6 per year, while the PLAN’s Type-052D destroyers are produced at a rate of 3.1 per year. While he says the US Navy’s plans include the development of the DDG(X) destroyer and the Constellation-class frigate, these are not expected to enter service until the late 2020s or early 2030s.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated with additional clarifying information.