China builds world’s first 20GW microwave weapon that can fire a 60-second burst

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

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.

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