A new kind of weapon intended to interfere with electrical infrastructure was recently demonstrated in an animated video released by China’s state broadcaster CCTV. Known as a “graphite bomb,” this unusual weapon is designed to render high-voltage power grids inoperable without causing any physical harm. The video shows the missile being launched from a land-based vehicle and was shared on a social media platform run by CCTV. Over a target area, the missile fires 90 cylindrical submunitions, which bounce on impact and explode in midair, releasing carbon filaments that have been chemically treated.
These electrically conductive carbon filaments are intended to short circuit transformers and substations, two essential electrical grid components. Up to 2.5 acres (107,639 square feet) are reportedly affected by the strike, which could result in a total loss of electricity in that region. The system is credited to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), a significant defense contractor connected to the Ministry of National Defense, even though CCTV did not verify the weapon’s official name or operational status.
The weapon’s 490-kilogram (1,080-pound) warhead can target targets up to 290 kilometers (180 miles) away. Its devastating impact on enemy infrastructure could result from its ability to damage multiple grid nodes in a single strike. The idea behind this graphite bomb is similar to how similar weapons, like the BLU-114/B, were used by the U.S. military in Iraq and Serbia in the past.
The Taiwanese power grid is the weapon’s possible target, and defense experts believe it could be crucial in a conflict between China and Taiwan. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) hasn’t formally acknowledged its use, though.
The incorporation of this weapon into China’s military strategy, according to experts, may indicate a move away from direct combat and toward hybrid warfare, which targets and disables systems like power grids. China might be able to take advantage of this non-lethal strategy to take down vital infrastructure, like radar and communications systems, without resorting to full-scale conflict.
