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Forget lasers and missiles, China wants to kill drones using a common tech
households use everyday in kitchens all around the world  invisible microwave
weapons can fry electronics but still require line-of-sight and proximity

Date:
Sat, 17 Jan 2026 10:05:00 +0000

Description:
China wants to counter drone swarms using high power microwave weapons 
similar in principle to household ovens but scaled for military air defense
roles.

FULL STORY

China has revealed new details about a high power microwave weapon it says 
can disable drone swarms at distances beyond those claimed by comparable US
systems. 

The truck mounted system, known as the Hurricane 3000, is designed to destroy
or shut down drones by frying onboard electronics with focused microwave
energy. 

Its developer, state owned defense contractor Norinco, said the weapon has an
effective interception range of more than 3km against light and small 
unmanned aerial vehicles.

An iron triangle 

"Its effective interception range exceeds 3km [1.86 miles] against light and
small [unmanned aerial vehicles] and drone swarms, placing it at the 
forefront of similar systems both domestically and internationally," said Yu
Jianjun, a Norinco expert, in comments reported by the South China Morning
Post . 

Yu said the added range allows the system to move beyond point defense, which
protects individual assets at short range, and into broader area denial 
roles. 

He said the Hurricane 3000 can operate on its own or be networked with laser
weapons and conventional air defense artillery to form what he described as 
an iron triangle against drones. 

This enables it to carry out diverse air defense missions, including point
defense, border and coastal security, and urban public safety operations, Yu
said. 

High power microwave weapons differ from missiles and guns by emitting wide
area bursts of electromagnetic energy that disable electronics almost
instantly. 

Unlike jamming systems, often described as soft kill tools, microwave weapons
physically damage or shut down components inside the drone. 

Norinco said the Hurricane 3000 uses radar to detect and track targets before
switching to electro optical sensors for precise visual locking. 

Once locked, the system radiates microwave energy through an antenna panel to
neutralize the target. 

Compared with laser based weapons, which usually engage one target at a time,
microwave systems cover a wider area and are considered better suited to 
swarm attacks. 

The company said such systems have a near unlimited magazine, a low cost per
shot, and minimal collateral damage. 

The Hurricane 3000 has been shown publicly alongside the smaller Hurricane
2000, which has a reported range of about 2km. 

The US Armys comparable system, Leonidas, developed by Epirus, is reported to
have an effective range of around 2km. 

Yu said Norinco is also exploring expanded roles for microwave weapons,
including disrupting communications, countering airborne reconnaissance, and
acting as non lethal denial systems. 

======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/forget-lasers-and-missiles-china-wants-to-kill-d
rones-using-a-common-tech-households-use-everyday-in-kitchens-all-around-the-w
orld-invisible-microwave-weapons-can-fry-electronics-but-still-require-line-of
-sight-and-proximity

$$
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