New Details Surface on China’s Truck-Mounted Hurricane 3000 Microwave Weapon
China’s Hurricane 3000 truck-mounted microwave weapon reportedly out-ranges US equivalents, targeting drones and swarms with high-power, wide-area interception.
China is slowly lifting the curtain on the Hurricane 3000, a truck-mounted high-power microwave weapon designed to counter drones at ranges that allegedly exceed comparable US systems.
The system made a brief but striking public appearance during China’s large-scale military parade in September, offering only visual clues and no technical explanation at the time.
That began to change this week when state-owned defense firm Norinco shared new details, outlining how the system fits into the country’s expanding counter-drone toolkit.
According to Norinco expert Yu Jianjun, “Its effective interception range exceeds 3km against light and small unmanned aerial vehicles and drone swarms, placing it at the forefront of similar systems both domestically and internationally.”
If confirmed, that range would push the Hurricane 3000 beyond point defense and into broader area denial, giving it a wider operational footprint than earlier microwave systems.
Built for Swarms, Networks, and Area Denial
Yu explained that the Hurricane 3000 can operate independently or link up with laser weapons and conventional artillery, forming what he described as an “iron triangle” for counter-drone defense.
“This enables it to carry out diverse air defense missions, including point defense, border and coastal security, and urban public safety operations,” Yu was quoted as saying.
The system relies on radar to detect and track moving targets before handing off to electro-optical sensors for precise visual acquisition, after which high-power microwaves are emitted to disable targets almost instantly.
Unlike missiles or guns, high-power microwave weapons have an effectively unlimited magazine and a very low cost per engagement, while also limiting collateral damage.
Yu added that Norinco is looking beyond drones, aiming to extend the role of these systems to missions such as disrupting enemy information links, countering airborne reconnaissance, and neutralizing precision-guided munitions.
Surviving the Surge
In a separate development reported earlier, Chinese researchers said the Hurricane 3000 had already crossed a key durability threshold during intensive ground testing.
The team claimed the system fired more than 5,000 full-power microwave pulses, each reaching extreme voltage levels, while maintaining a stable waveform and showing no signs of self-damage.
If accurate, that endurance would suggest Beijing is moving past one of the hardest challenges in high-power microwave weapon design, even as officials stress the system is still undergoing further trials.