China’s new microwave weapon made to zap Taiwan

In what may be the first of its kind, Chinese scientists have unveiled a new Stirling engine-powered high-power microwave (HPM) weapon, marking a significant leap in directed-energy warfare technology with possible applications in future urban warfare scenarios.

This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese scientists have claimed to develop an HPM weapon driven by four compact and efficient Stirling closed-cycle heat engines.

SCMP notes that Stirling engines in China’s new HPM design efficiently convert thermal energy into mechanical energy, working together as a reverse heat pump.

The report mentions that the superconducting coil generates a magnetic field with a strength of up to four teslas harnessed to drive HPM waves powerful enough to suppress drones, military aircraft and even satellites.

China claims that it is the world’s first openly reported HPM weapon based on Stirling engine technology.

SCMP states that the intensity of its continuous, steady-state magnetic field reaches 68,000 times that of the Earth’s magnetic field, or close to half the magnetic field strength of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Europe.

It says that the weapon system, which can easily fit into a truck, boasts a significant reduction in energy consumption for generating a strong magnetic field compared with existing technologies. According to preliminary tests, China claims it consumes only one-fifth of the energy required by current methods and can operate continuously for four hours.

The development of low-energy, compact, superconducting magnet systems is essential for large-scale production and use of microwave weapons. The report claims that the Chinese scientists involved in the project achieved the