China reveals BLACKOUT BOMB that can knock out enemy power stations. Will this amplify nuclear risk? Here's all about the 'mysterious missile'

China revealed a new type of graphite bomb - blackout bomb - on Thursday (June 26), claiming that it could knock out enemy power stations and cause a “complete loss of electricity” in the targeted area. Although the CCTV did not explicitly identify the weapon as a graphite bomb, it showed similar features to graphite munitions. A video was published by the state broadcaster of the country that featured the bomb. A social media channel run by China Central Television (CCTV) shared an animated video that showed the bomb being launched from a land-based vehicle before ejecting 90 cylinder-shaped submunitions.

The canisters shown in the video bounced upon impact before detonating mid-air. They dispersed chemically treated carbon filaments that are designed to short-circuit high-voltage power infrastructure. The circulated video is now viral on the social media platform X.

The blackout bomb aims at disrupting the enemy command and control systems by triggering widespread electrical outages over an area of at least 10,000 square metres (107,639 sq ft), CCTV said. The channel, however, did not reveal any further details regarding the weapon or its status. CCTV referred to the bombs as a "mysterious type of domestically made missile”.

As per the shared video, the weapon has a range of 290km (180 miles) and a warhead weighing 490kg (1,080lbs). All this feature makes the bomb suitable for attacks on military substations and other electrical infrastructure.

A threat to Taiwan?

After the video was posted, many were seen speculating on social media that the bomb revelation was a threat to Taiwan's power grid. It is being speculated that the blackout bombs could disable Taiwan’s defences, making nuclear escalation more likely if China faces defeat. Although the Taiwanese legislators have limited the nuclear weapons are off the table, the blackout bomb has now raised the stakes.