How cheaply can China fend off a drone swarm with its latest microwave weapon?

China has lowered the operational cost of an anti-drone high-power microwave (HPM) system to just a few yuan per shot, making it a cost-effective option for policing applications, according to a state media report.

The launch of an urban police anti-drone swarm microwave defence system marked a further reduction in cost and increased accessibility of HPM technology as it expanded into civilian applications, state broadcaster CCTV said on Saturday.

Developed by state-owned 081 Electronics Group, the system integrates radar, electro-optical and radio detection systems with a large flat-panel antenna that elevates and rotates, mounted on an eight-wheel truck.

The system can “soft kill” incoming drones by jamming or use high-power microwaves for a “hard kill”, instantly overheating and melting the internal chips and metal circuitry for an immediate crash.

Drones have increasingly emerged as a source of unconventional public security challenges. For instance, there have been widely reported incidents around the world of the devices being used to drop food or drugs into prisons.

In 2018, Chinese authorities uncovered smuggling rings that were using drones to transport an estimated 500 million yuan (US$72 million) worth of illicit electronic goods across the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border.

South China Morning Post