As tensions escalate in the Taiwan Strait, China has unveiled what appears to be its newest weapon in the arsenal of silent warfare—a mysterious graphite bomb capable of blacking out power grids across targeted areas.
The simulation, citing data from ‘China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’ (CASC)—a key defense contractor under China’s Ministry of National Defence—demonstrated electrical transformers sparking and failing under the effect of the graphite filaments.
The weapon reportedly has a range of 290 kilometers (180 miles) and carries a warhead weighing 490 kilograms (1,080 pounds), making it capable of targeting distant power stations, substations, and grid hubs with precision.
Despite the detailed visual presentation, Chinese state media, CCTV, referred to it only as a “mysterious type of domestically made missile,” withholding key information about its official name, development phase, or operational deployment. Chinese authorities have yet to confirm whether this weapon has entered active service.
The timing of this reveal is no coincidence. With geopolitical flashpoints simmering and China’s support for Russia and Iran deepening, the display of such a capability underscores a strategic shift in modern warfare: disruption over destruction.
From EMPs to Graphite Bombs
China’s interest in paralyzing critical systems began long before this graphite bomb came into view. Since 2017, it has been deploying high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons—non-nuclear devices capable of emitting electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) to fry electronics instantly.
These silent bursts don’t kill; instead, they disable. Communications, transportation, water systems, even military radar and defense networks—all can be rendered useless in a flash.
According to a RAND Corporation research report, about 90% of global HPM patents are now held by China-affiliated organizations, indicating Beijing’s push for dominance in this domain.
Even more concerning, China is actively developing high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) weapons—nuclear warheads detonated above targets to blanket entire regions in EMP waves.
As part of its nuclear modernization plan, China is on track to double its nuclear arsenal by 2035, with HEMPs playing a central role in its broader “informatized warfare” doctrine, prioritizing control of the information and electromagnetic spectrum before traditional conflict even begins.
Now, the graphite bomb emerges as a more targeted tool in this silent arsenal.
China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and US President Donald Trump.. US President Donald Trump said on May 14, 2020, he is no mood to speak with China’s Xi Jinping, warning darkly he might cut off ties with the rival superpower over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. “I have a very good relationship, but I just — right now I don’t want to speak to him,” Trump told Fox Business. (Photo by Jim WATSON and PETER KLAUNZER / various sources / AFP)
A Silent Threat
A graphite bomb, often called a “blackout bomb” or “soft bomb,” is a non-lethal weapon designed to take down electrical infrastructure without destroying buildings or harming people directly.
It works by dispersing a cloud of fine graphite particles—tiny, lightweight filaments that are highly conductive—over a target area. When these particles settle on high-voltage equipment, such as transformers, circuit breakers, or power lines, they create short circuits, triggering sudden and widespread power failures.
The effect is immediate and disruptive. Any electrical system caught within the cloud is likely to shut down. If the bomb is deployed over a power station, the impact ripples outward, cutting electricity not just at the site of the strike, but potentially across entire regions connected to that grid.
While no explosions tear through buildings and no lives are directly threatened by the bomb itself, the cascading consequences of a blackout—especially in urban centers—can be severe. Hospitals, transportation systems, communication networks, and essential services grind to a halt, and in the ensuing chaos, lives can still be lost.
Despite its capacity for disruption, the graphite bomb’s appeal lies in its “soft” footprint. It causes minimal collateral damage. Infrastructure remains intact, and once the conductive particles are cleaned off, electrical systems can often be restored.
This reversibility makes it attractive for strategic operations where long-term physical damage is not the objective, but short-term confusion and paralysis are.
However, the weapon is not without its limitations. The blackout it causes is usually temporary, lasting hours or days rather than weeks. Environmental conditions, such as rain or strong winds, can reduce its effectiveness by dispersing the filaments prematurely or washing them away. And as nations adapt, many modern electrical grids are being hardened with protective coatings or redesigns to resist such forms of attack.
In essence, the graphite bomb is a tool of control and disruption—non-lethal, yet capable of plunging cities into darkness and sowing fear without firing a single bullet.
An Old Weapon In A New War
Graphite bombs may seem like cutting-edge technology, but they’ve been part of the military playbook for decades.
Developed by the US military in the 1980s, these non-lethal weapons were born out of a broader push to find ways of disabling enemy infrastructure without the destructive footprint of conventional explosives.
Much of the early research was shrouded in secrecy, carried out under classified defense programs aimed at giving the US an edge in modern warfare, where disruption could be as powerful as destruction.
The first known battlefield use came during the 1991 Gulf War, when US forces deployed the BLU-114/B graphite bomb to devastating effect. Targeting two of Iraq’s key power distribution centers, the bomb rendered up to 85% of the country’s electrical grid inoperable, plunging much of Iraq into darkness for nearly a month.
The blackout didn’t just inconvenience civilians—it paralyzed Iraq’s air defenses and disrupted Saddam Hussein’s command-and-control network at a critical moment in the war.
The weapon made a second high-profile appearance in 1999, during the Kosovo War. This time, it was NATO forces, led by the US, that used graphite bombs to cripple Serbia’s electrical grid.
Stealth F-117 aircraft dropped the bombs with surgical precision, reportedly disabling around 70% of the country’s power infrastructure. The blackout was temporary, but strategically powerful, contributing to Serbia’s decision to accept the terms of a NATO-brokered ceasefire.
While China’s recent unveiling of a graphite bomb may appear novel, the technology itself has a long and proven history. What’s new is not the concept, but who is now putting it on display.
Taiwan’s Race to Stay Lit
As one of Asia’s most technologically advanced societies, Taiwan relies heavily on electricity to power its hospitals, communications, transportation, and water systems.
That makes it uniquely vulnerable to both graphite bombs and EMP attacks. A successful strike on its power grid wouldn’t just cause an inconvenience—it could plunge the island into chaos.
Recognizing this, Taiwan has been quietly overhauling its energy infrastructure. In the wake of a 2022 blackout, its state utility, Taipower, launched an $18 billion, ten-year resilience plan aimed at decentralizing its energy system.
The plan includes the construction of microgrids powered by local renewable sources—solar, wind, and hydro—capable of operating independently in the event of a main grid failure. More switching yards and distribution nodes are being added to isolate threats and prevent cascading blackouts.
This effort builds on Taiwan’s 2016 Electricity Act, which prioritized the integration of renewable energy and energy diversity. The goal is not just energy efficiency, but survivability.
In a future where war may begin with a blackout, Taiwan is racing to ensure the lights can come back on.
Warfare Without Fire
The rise of graphite bombs and EMP weapons reflects a deeper evolution in military thinking. Modern doctrines increasingly value the ability to disable, not destroy.
The goal is to paralyze an enemy’s ability to communicate, coordinate, and resist by targeting its C4ISR networks: command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
These are the nervous systems of a modern military—and they don’t need to be bombed into rubble to be neutralized. A well-timed EMP or graphite strike can have the same effect: rendering advanced forces blind, deaf, and paralyzed before a single conventional weapon is used.
- Shubhangi Palve is a defense and aerospace journalist. Before joining the EurAsian Times, she worked for ET Prime. She has over 15 years of extensive experience in the media industry, spanning print, electronic, and online domains.
- Contact the author at shubhapalve (at) gmail.com
