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Started By
Message
Chinese scientists build world-first 20GW microwave weapon that can fire 60-second bursts
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:13 pm
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:13 pm
LINK
It continues to be a different kind of arms race from a few decades ago.
quote:
At the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in Xian, Shaanxi province, sits an unremarkable-looking device called the TPG1000Cs.
It could become Starlink’s worst nightmare.
The TPG1000Cs is the world’s first compact driver for a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon, capable of delivering an extraordinary 20 gigawatts of power for up to one full minute.
Measuring just four metres long (13 feet) and weighing only five tonnes, it is compact enough to be mounted on trucks, warships, aircraft or even satellites.
According to estimates from some Chinese experts, a ground-based microwave weapon with an output over 1GW could severely disrupt or even damage Starlink satellites operating in low Earth orbit. Until now, similar known systems could only operate continuously for no more than three seconds and were far bulkier.
For example, Russia’s Sinus-7 driver could run for about a second, delivering roughly 100 pulses per burst, yet weighed around 10 tonnes.
It continues to be a different kind of arms race from a few decades ago.
21
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:15 pm to LSUDVM1999
quote:
20GW microwave
I bet that can frick up a frozen burrito.
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:18 pm to LSUDVM1999
We've had microwave weapons since the 80s that will basically make planes and helicopters fall out of the sky. None of those weapons are legal but we all know there are no rules in love and war.
This post was edited on 2/5/26 at 5:19 pm
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:35 pm to LSUDVM1999
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:36 pm to LSUDVM1999
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:37 pm to LSUDVM1999
Gonna zap their dissidents back to the future.
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:38 pm to LSUDVM1999
Yeah but you actually have to generate 20 GW of power for a shot. Roughly 20 large nuclear reactors. What’s the size of the wire to hook into the weapon? 000000000000000000000000000 gauge?
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:42 pm to LSUDVM1999
I’m sure it will work exactly as they say it will and will never have issues.
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:51 pm to LSUDVM1999
Damn. I just had my starlink installed yesterday.
Posted on 2/5/26 at 5:57 pm to LSUDVM1999
And my hot pocket will still be cold in the middle 
Posted on 2/5/26 at 6:54 pm to LSUDVM1999
I want to see the truck with the generators and capacitors that can charge up and store enough energy to fire that for 60 seconds and I want to know how many times it can fire in an hour. One of the major weaknesses of our directed energy weapons is that we aren't putting them on ships with nuclear reactors and the gas turbines aren't able to supply adequate power to make these things viable. Making a weapon that does what they are describing is the easy part. Powering it is the hard part.
This post was edited on 2/5/26 at 6:55 pm
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:10 pm to LSUDVM1999
It'll never work in the field, it'll trip the breaker every time.
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:12 pm to LSUDVM1999
quote:
20 gigawatts of power for up to one full minute.
Measuring just four metres long (13 feet) and weighing only five tonnes, it is compact enough to be mounted on trucks, warships, aircraft or even satellites.
The power supply on the other hand requires 100 acres and a small lake
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:15 pm to LegendInMyMind
quote:
20GW microwave
quote:
I bet that can frick up a frozen burrito.
Would take care of a city's stray cat problem
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:17 pm to LSUDVM1999
My money is on Elon having a counter measure
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:19 pm to LSUDVM1999
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:43 pm to LSUDVM1999
Posted on 2/5/26 at 7:59 pm to UptownJoeBrown
quote:
Yeah but you actually have to generate 20 GW of power for a shot. Roughly 20 large nuclear reactors. What’s the size of the wire to hook into the weapon? 000000000000000000000000000 gauge?
This is a good point, and it all comes down to their aiming system. The more precise the targeting, the shorter the shot needed. 20 GW for 60 seconds is a lot. 20 GW for 0.01 sec is not much of a power plant at all, as long as you don't mind a 10-15 minutes between shots.
The problem with presenting this as a problem for Starlink is that there are a LOT of them, they are very small, moving very fast, and at a long distance. China could annoy Elon with this, but not put him out of business. The weapon is likely a much bigger problem for our national intelligence satellites, like the KH series or whatever the present day eye in the sky is. There are fewer of them, they are a lot larger targets, and their closest approach altitude is lower than Starlink sats.
Posted on 2/5/26 at 8:25 pm to LSUDVM1999
BOGUS
Posted on 2/5/26 at 8:31 pm to LSUDVM1999
Hope you get the extended warranty with that. Will be broken in a week, cheap Asian crap
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