The films of science fiction they have always shown us incredible and futuristic weapons: geopolitical news is "getting used" to seeing them as increasingly real. China just outlined the development of a hypersonic generator that could power military lasers, railguns and microwave weapons.
A “missile” of energy
A study published in the Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (I link it here) shows how this revolutionary hypersonic generator works. How does it work? A controlled explosion inside a “shock tunnel” transforms the hot gas into plasma charged with moving ions, which is then converted into an electric current.
The compressed argon gas is accelerated by shock waves up to 10 times the speed of sound, generating up to 212 kilowatts of electricity with just one liter of gas.
Potential and advantages of the hypersonic generator
The hypersonic generator will be an “instant power supply” to power a wide range of military applications.
To give you an idea of the potential of this technology, some of the most advanced weapons require a lot of energy. China itself is reportedly working on a microwave weapon which could be used to destroy satellites and aircraft: the weapon would require a gigawatt of energy to operate.
The researchers claim they can produce this energy with just 5 cubes of hypersonic plasma, an amount smaller than the capacity of a van.
Towards automatic hypersonic weapons?
The possible applications of this technology could have a significant impact on the global military landscape. With China's innovation in the field of hypersonic generator, the weapons of the future could become a reality much faster than previously thought. However, it is crucial to consider the ethical and geopolitical implications of these innovations.
Mainly, they could further "heat up" a dispute, the one with the USA, which from "cold" became quickly too hot. China's strategy, focused on political empowerment, could be perceived as aggressive, fueling possible sparks towards a global conflict.
Certainly, we are facing a future of warfare increasingly similar to science fiction films, and our role in shaping it will be fundamental. The feeling, to paraphrase the writer William Gibson, is that a third world war is already here: it is just “unequally distributed”.
