China Anti-Satellite Weapon: The world is now moving ahead of traditional weapon systems. Now such a weapon is being developed in which gunpowder is not used. This means that the enemy target can be destroyed without any missiles or bombs. Chinese scientists have claimed to have developed a similar weapon system to destroy satellites. China says that this weapon is so powerful that it can destroy satellites deployed in space. With the help of this Invisible Hunter, the Chinese Army can force America to cry tears of blood. It is also being called ‘Starlink Killer’, which can delink Elon Musk’s satellite. China feels that Taiwan attack In case of emergency, Starlink satellite can help, in such a situation it is necessary to eliminate or deactivate Musk’s ‘Swarm Satellite’. However, various claims are being made regarding this.

Claiming to take a big step towards space warfare capability, China has developed a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon, which scientists are calling ‘Invisible Hunter’. According to Chinese media and research papers, this system may be capable of disrupting or disabling the Starlink satellite network of Elon Musk’s company SpaceX without anti-satellite missiles. It is said to be a compact driver delivering power up to 20 GW, which can be deployed from any platform on land, sea, air or space. This claim has come at a time when there is tension in the Taiwan Strait and Beijing fears that in the event of any possible crisis or conflict, the Starlink network can give the US and its allies a decisive edge in communication, surveillance and targeting. Starlink’s role in the Russia-Ukraine war has also attracted the attention of military strategists. Elon Musk activated the Starlink service at the request of the Ukrainian leadership shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, giving Ukraine a major advantage in war-time communications systems and forcing Russia to develop new ways to detect and disable these signals.

What is a microwave weapon?
Microwave weapon is a technology that is capable of disabling or damaging targets with high-frequency radio waves.

Where is it used?
It is used in military operations to disable drones, missile systems and electronic equipment. Now there is talk of using it to destroy satellites also.

How does this work?
This release of microwave energy disrupts electronic circuits or produces excessive heat.

Is it dangerous for humans?
In special circumstances it can affect health, but research on its effects is still ongoing.

Is India working on this technology?
Research on microwave and guided energy weapons is being done by defense research organizations.

What is TPG1000Cs and why is this technology special?

According to the report of ‘Eurasian Times’, a team of scientists from the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology (NINT) based in Xi’an, Shanxi province of China has claimed to have developed a driver named TPG1000Cs, which is being described as the world’s first compact high-power microwave driver. According to the researchers, this equipment can provide up to 20 gigawatts of power a minute and is capable of generating up to 3000 high-energy pulses in a session. These figures make it much more powerful than previous systems. By comparison, Russia’s Sinus-7 system was said to weigh about 10 tons, operate for only one second, and deliver about 100 pulses per burst. At the same time, the length of TPG1000Cs is said to be about four meters, weight is about five tonnes and it can also be installed on trucks, warships, aircraft or satellite platforms. The NINT team says the system has accumulated more than 2 lakh operational pulses so far, proving its stability and reliability and opening the way for multi-platform deployment.

Why is its design special?

Scientists have innovated many designs to make this weapon compact and more effective. According to the report, the weight of the system was reduced by one-third by using aluminum alloy instead of traditional high-strength steel. Apart from this, wavy grooves have been made on the insulating plates. Just as turns on mountain roads prevent electrical flow from cutting corners, reducing the possibility of surface discharge and increasing equipment reliability. Another important innovation is the dual-U-shaped structure. It achieves the same results in half the space compared to the older long, straight tube designs. This increases the energy storage capacity and makes the equipment more compact. This is why it is said to be possible to deploy it on mobile platforms.

China Anti-Satellite Weapon: The microwave anti-satellite developed by China is currently named Invisible Hunter. (File photo/Reuters)

Why Starlink on target?

Starlink is a massive network of thousands of small satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO), providing high-speed internet and communications services around the world. Elon Musk has already said that it is not easy to disable Starlink, because it would require thousands of anti-satellite missiles and it is not possible to fire missiles at a speed faster than the speed of launching SpaceX satellites. He also said that he hopes that this test will never come to the fore, but technically SpaceX has an edge in satellite launches. However, the use of directed energy weapons like microwave or laser can change this equation. According to experts, a ground-based microwave weapon with an output of more than 1 gigawatt can seriously disrupt the electronic systems of satellites in LEO or cause permanent damage to them. Recently, SpaceX has lowered the orbit altitude of Starlink satellites to reduce the risk of collision, making them more vulnerable to ground-based directed energy weapons.

How dangerous is the Invisible Hunter?

Chinese reports claim that if a system like the TPG1000Cs were deployed in space, its invisible attacks would be even more lethal and beyond detection. The biggest feature of microwave weapons is that they do not create debris like conventional weapons and often disable electronic systems without any visible signal. This may also make it difficult to fix responsibility at the international level, which creates a new challenge in terms of space security. The development of TPG1000Cs is said to be part of China’s long-term strategy under which Beijing is manufacturing Starlink-killer weapons. Chinese military experts believe that in peacetime, a network like Starlink can be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, while in case of conflict, it can prove helpful in targeting China’s important military and civilian assets. Especially in the context of Taiwan crisis.

From simulation to real weapons

In a study, Chinese scientists simulated a hypothetical space mission and claimed that just 99 Chinese satellites could reach nearly 1,400 Starlink satellites within 12 hours. These satellites can be equipped with laser, microwave and other equipment and can be used for tasks like tracking, reconnaissance and attack. However, experts say that such space wars can generate space debris, which can become a threat to all countries in the long run. This is why directed energy weapons (especially microwave and laser) are being given priority in China, because they are considered comparatively clean and can disable the target without physical collision.



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