Chinese scientists build world-first 20GW microwave weapon that can fire 60-second bursts

Ground-based and compact Chinese technology can disrupt or damage Starlink satellites operating in low Earth orbit

By Stephen  Chen

At the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in Xian, Shaanxi province, sits an unremarkable-looking device called the TPG1000Cs.

It could become Starlink’s worst nightmare.

The TPG1000Cs is the world’s first compact driver for a high-power microwave (HPM) weapon, capable of delivering an extraordinary 20 gigawatts of power for up to one full minute.

Measuring just four metres long (13 feet) and weighing only five tonnes, it is compact enough to be mounted on trucks, warships, aircraft or even satellites.

According to estimates from some Chinese experts, a ground-based microwave weapon with an output over 1GW could severely disrupt or even damage Starlink satellites operating in low Earth orbit.

Until now, similar known systems could only operate continuously for no more than three seconds and were far bulkier.