China reveals new type of “graphite bomb”? “It can cause a complete power outage in the target area”

► Text Observer Liu Chenghui

According to a report by Hong Kong English media South China Morning Post on June 29, CCTV recently released an animated video on social media, showing a weapon suspected to be a new type of graphite bomb, which is said to be able to destroy enemy power plants and command systems, and cause “complete power outage” in the target area, which has attracted widespread attention from the outside world.

The animated video released on June 26 shows that this weapon named “Guardian 600” (WS-600L) has a minimum range of 80 kilometers and a maximum range of 290 kilometers. It can be launched from land-based or sea-based platforms, and can also choose a variety of warheads, including penetration and blasting warheads (mainly attacking command center buildings, airport runways, reinforced hangars and other targets), semi-armor-piercing warheads (mainly attacking surface ships), killing and blasting warheads (mainly attacking living forces, radar positions, etc.), and conductive fiber warheads.

Among them, the conductive fiber warhead has a mass of 490 kilograms and contains 90 submunitions, which are used to destroy power supply and distribution systems such as military substations and power stations, with a maximum scattering area of ​​no less than 10,000 square meters.

The picture shows that the submunitions of this warhead will bounce up after landing and explode in the air, releasing chemically treated carbon fiber filaments, thereby short-circuiting the high-voltage power infrastructure.

However, CCTV did not provide more information about the weapon system, only calling it “a mysterious domestic missile.” It is not clear at what stage of development the weapon is or whether it has been in service with the Chinese military.

The report said that although CCTV did not explicitly point out that the weapon was a graphite bomb, its characteristics were highly consistent with known graphite bombs. Many netizens commented below the video soon, speculating that the weapon might be used to attack the power system in Taiwan.

The graphite bomb is a weapon that paralyzes the enemy’s power system and is known as a “power outage bomb” and a “power killer.” Its warhead contains a large number of tiny, chemically treated carbon fiber graphite filaments, which are scattered after exploding in the air, attaching to and short-circuiting high-voltage power equipment, causing large-scale power outages. It does not rely on explosions to destroy physical facilities, but rather paralyzes the enemy’s command, communication and control systems through power paralysis, and can be used to achieve tactical suppression without fighting or with low damage.

In 2017, Chen Chundi, editor of the semi-official Modern Ships magazine, published a commentary describing the graphite bomb as an unconventional weapon that would “change the rules of the game” for the People’s Liberation Army in future conflicts. He pointed out that attacking the enemy’s power infrastructure has always been a strategic focus in war.

Chen Chundi said that modern warfare strategies are gradually shifting from destroying the enemy’s living forces to paralyzing its combat systems, especially attacking the “command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” (C4ISR) network. Graphite bombs provide a new way to bypass key defense facilities and indirectly achieve system paralysis.

He also said that such weapons have entered service in the Chinese military, but at that time they were earlier and lower-level versions, with warhead weight and coverage of about half of what they are now.

He mentioned that graphite bombs can be equipped with a “wind correction munitions dispenser” (WCMD), a guidance device installed at the tail of the munition to improve accuracy. He said the device could be integrated with the Beidou satellite navigation system in the future, further improving the accuracy of strikes.

“In the future, this weapon is likely to be integrated into China’s cruise missiles and play a devastating role in war,” said Chen Chundi.

The South China Morning Post also noted that the US military has used graphite bombs in actual combat many times.

For example, in Iraq, the US military’s Tomahawk cruise missiles equipped with BLU-114/B graphite warheads once paralyzed 85% of Iraq’s national power grid, plunging the opponent’s military command, air defense and government agencies into darkness.

In the Kosovo War, the US F-117 stealth fighter dropped CBU-102 bombs equipped with graphite warheads, paralyzing about 70% of Serbia’s power system and forcing Belgrade to accept NATO’s requirements.

The Russian Satellite News Agency also noticed this new Chinese weapon on July 1. The report quoted military expert Vasily Kashin as saying: “The working principle of such weapons is to deposit highly conductive graphite dust on the open components of power equipment to cause a short circuit.”

Kashin introduced that the target of graphite bombs is not power plants, but power grid facilities, such as transmission lines and substation transformers, but the use of such weapons is highly dependent on climatic conditions.

“Graphite bombs are guided aerial bombs that fire a certain number of submunitions above the target. These submunitions release a cloud of graphite powder that falls on power system facilities. The use of this weapon depends on weather conditions-in high humidity, especially precipitation weather, this weapon will fail because the powder will quickly stick together and fall to the ground.”

He added that the short circuit caused by graphite can usually be eliminated within 24 hours. Therefore, based on the experience of the US military in the 1991 Gulf War, the 2003 Iraq War and the 1999 Kosovo War, it is necessary to use graphite bombs to repeat attacks regularly to ensure the continued paralysis of the enemy’s power grid.

Kashin said that if the belligerents seek to cause long-term damage to enemy infrastructure, it makes more sense to use conventional bombs and missiles.

Source | Observer