China’s Silent Strike: Weapon Targets Electrical Infrastructure

In 1991, the U.S. Navy used secret Kit-2 warheads during the Gulf War to disable Iraq’s power grid by dispersing carbon fiber strands that short-circuited electrical systems. The U.S. Air Force later developed a similar weapon, the BLU-114/B “blackout bomb,” which was deployed by stealth fighters during NATO’s 1999 campaign in Kosovo. Its late use and secrecy sparked speculation about its experimental nature, with the Pentagon declining to publicly discuss the classified weapon.

Now, more than two decades later, China appears to be pursuing similar capabilities. State broadcaster CCTV recently released an animated video of a suspected domestically developed graphite bomb—a non-lethal weapon designed to disable electrical infrastructure using carbon filaments, reports Kapil Kajal of Interesting Engineering. Launched from a missile, the submunitions short-circuit power grids without causing physical damage. Developed by CASC, the weapon reportedly has a 290 km range and a 490-kg warhead. Though not officially confirmed, experts believe it targets systems like Taiwan’s power grid, underscoring the PLA’s growing emphasis on non-kinetic warfare and strategic disruption. Kajal writes:

China’s state broadcaster CCTV has released an animated video highlighting what appears to be a new domestically developed graphite bomb, an unconventional munition designed to disable high-voltage electrical infrastructure without physical destruction.

The footage shared on a CCTV-run social media platform depicts a missile launched from a land-based vehicle, releasing 90 cylindrical submunitions over a designated target area.

Upon release, the canisters bounce on impact before detonating mid-air, dispersing chemically treated carbon filaments.

These conductive strands are engineered to short-circuit transformers, substations, and other key components of an electrical grid. […]

The PLA is changing its strategy. Instead of fighting on the battlefield, it now focuses on disrupting systems.

This change shows China is increasingly interested in matching the US military’s skills in unconventional warfare targeting infrastructure.

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