Military expert explains what China's graphite bomb is

Military expert Knutov revealed the dangers of the graphite bomb created by China

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China Central Television previously released a video showing a weapon capable of causing large-scale power grid failures by causing a "blackout" in the affected area. Chinese experts agree that the video could have shown a so-called graphite bomb. Military expert Yuri Knutov, in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, spoke about the features of this weapon and explained how dangerous it could be.

The source noted that only a video had been shown so far, so there was no precise information. He pointed out that if such a weapon had really been created by China, it could be used either directly as a bomb or as a filling for a cluster warhead for missiles.

Knutov explained that a graphite bomb essentially consists of thin graphite threads that, when dropped on a power facility, can cause a short circuit in generators or disable either the power plant itself or individual units. According to him, if the strike hits high-voltage lines, the graphite rods become entangled between the wires, causing a short circuit, which, in turn, disables the substations for a long period.

The expert emphasized that the graphite bomb is a non-lethal weapon, and when used, there is no explosion that would release damaging elements. As the source noted, such shells can be used locally, namely to strike power facilities using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or charges with graphite filling can be used by sabotage groups behind enemy lines.

At the same time, Knutov clarified that if we talk about the energy supply of military facilities, which, according to the Chinese, can also be disabled by graphite bombs, then everything is somewhat more complicated, because, as a rule, military facilities have backup generators, and when the power supply to the network is interrupted, the transition to backup generators is immediately carried out.

The most serious problems, according to the expert, could arise when using this type of weapon against a nuclear power facility, since in this case an accident could occur that would lead to a catastrophe with all the ensuing consequences.