China has reportedly made a significant breakthrough in directed-energy weaponry by developing a high-power microwave (HPM) gun capable of firing over 10,000 rounds without malfunction.

This development comes from the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology (NINT), a research arm of China’s military sector.

The microwave weapon is designed to disable or destroy electronic components in drones, missiles, and potentially satellites, using bursts of focused electromagnetic energy.

The team’s research was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal High Power Laser and Particle Beams, lending credibility to the technical claims.

What sets this system apart is its durability and compactness.

Traditional HPM weapons often face challenges maintaining vacuum integrity in their tubes after prolonged use, but this new design incorporates advanced ceramic-metal welding and a self-regenerating vacuum mechanism.

These innovations have enabled it to deliver thousands of shots at power levels in the hundreds of megawatts, while operating with a pulsed current reaching 3 gigawatts.

According to the study, the weapon can emit 10 to 30 powerful pulses per second, with electric field strengths comparable to those caused by nuclear electromagnetic pulses (EMPs).

This technology is especially significant for modern warfare, where drones and electronics-driven systems dominate battlefields.

Microwave weapons like this one could be deployed on vehicles to create electronic dead zones, disabling enemy assets without physical destruction.

It also signals that China is attempting to leap ahead in the arms race for non-kinetic weapons, competing with the U.S., Russia, and the EU, all of which are also developing similar systems.

While China has already demonstrated both solid-state (GaN-based) and vacuum tube-based designs, this latest innovation may offer enhanced battlefield longevity and performance.