Nations are rapidly developing advanced weapons to counter the growing threat of drones, especially low-cost, swarm-capable systems. High-power microwave (HPM) weapons are a key focus, as they can disable drones by disrupting their electronics without expensive ammunition. The US and China are leading this push, each testing next-gen microwave systems designed for battlefield use, aiming to create cost-effective, reliable defenses against increasingly sophisticated unmanned aerial threats.
According to Christopher McFadden of Interesting Engineering, Chinese scientists have developed a high-power microwave gun that can fire over 10,000 times without failing, targeting drones, missiles, and satellites. Key innovations reduce maintenance and boost reliability, marking a potential leap in China’s advanced weapons tech.
The US is also developing microwave weapons using gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors, which don’t require a vacuum to operate. However, China’s restrictions on gallium exports have complicated US efforts. Meanwhile, China is advancing both vacuum-based and GaN-based systems, giving it a potential edge in next-gen directed energy weapons. McFadden writes:
Chinese scientists have allegedly created a new type of high-power microwave (HPM) gun that can fire over 10,000 times without failing. Concrete details are thin on the ground, but the weapon is about the size of a Gatling gun and is very robust.
According to reports, the new weapon fires high-powered microwave beams that can disable drones, missiles, aircraft, and even low-orbit satellites by rendering their electronics inoperable. […]
China is not the only nation attempting to produce reliable and battlefield-useable microwave weapons. The United States (US), for its part, is developing its microwave weapons based on gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors, which can operate without requiring a vacuum.
However, China is restricting the export of gallium, making it harder for the US to obtain the materials it needs. At the same time, China is advancing both vacuum-based microwave guns and GaN-based solid-state weapons.
According to analysts, this two-pronged approach could give China an advantage in next-generation weapon systems.
The Philippines and the US launched Balikatan 2025 on April 21, their biggest joint drill yet, featuring the first Indo-Pacific test of the US Army’s drone-disabling microwave weapon, IFPC-HPM. The exercise highlights growing military ties and counter-drone efforts amid China tensions, reports Joe Saballa of The Defense Post. He writes:
The US Army has tested its cutting-edge microwave weapons in the Philippines for the first time, marking a major show of force as tensions with China continue.
The trial featured the Integrated Fires Protection Capability–High-Powered Microwave (IFPC-HPM) and the Fixed Site–Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), both deployed to the Philippines’ western coast, facing the South China Sea. […]
This marks the first deployment of both microwave systems, not just in the Philippines, but anywhere in the Indo-Pacific region. […]
Data from the exercise will be analyzed to refine counter-drone tactics and inform future requirements for microwave weapons.
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