A newly revealed Chinese “blackout bomb” capable of disabling enemy power plants has raised alarm worldwide.
According to the South China Morning Post, China’s state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday released an animated video showcasing what appears to be a new type of graphite bomb designed to paralyze electricity infrastructure.
The video, shared on a subsidiary social media channel of CCTV, depicts a weapon launched from the ground, which releases 90 cylindrical submunitions mid-air. These capsules bounce upon hitting the ground and then explode in the air, dispersing ultra-fine carbon fibers that short-circuit high-voltage power systems.
The broadcast claims that the weapon can be used to cripple enemy command-and-control systems and can render the electrical infrastructure over at least 10,000 square meters inoperative.
No specific technical details or official name of the weapon were disclosed. The video simply referred to it as a “mysterious domestically-developed missile.”
It’s worth noting that the U.S. military has previously used similar weapons—graphite bombs—against power infrastructure in Iraq and Serbia, underlining the strategic value of such non-lethal yet highly disruptive systems in modern warfare.
