China concluded its biannual airshow in Zhuhai over a week ago. Shortly after, a photo of light striking an aerial object was widely circulated on social media, claimed to be China’s newly unveiled high-power microwave weapon. The claim has been widely spread across social media platforms. However, our investigation revealed that this claim lacks context.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
A Facebook post shared a photo on social media showing a beam of light striking a flying object, claiming it was from China’s newly unveiled high-powered microwave weapon.
The social media claim has attracted significant attention and reactions from users, with many believing it to be an authentic image of China’s newly manufactured weapon.
Below is a snapshot of a Facebook post in Thai, shared on November 16, 2024. The caption translates to: “China launches FK-4000 weapon system, using high-power microwave waves to destroy drones 2 miles away, showcasing military innovations at the air show in Zhuhai.”
Below is a snapshot of another Facebook post shared from November 25, 2024, stating, “China unveils microwave weapon capable of frying drones 2 miles away: China showcased its latest military advancements during the Zhuhai Air Show, including the FK-4000, a high-power microwave weapon designed to counter enemy drones. […]”
The same claim has been widely shared on various social media platforms, including X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, and Threads, which is Meta’s newly created platform.
Below is a snapshot of the claim circulated on X on November 15, 2024, stating, “CHINA UNVEILS MICROWAVE WEAPON TO NEUTRALIZE DRONES 2 MILES AWAY. […]”
Below is a snapshot of the claim shared on Instagram on November 15, 2024, stating, “China is advancing its military technology, showcasing key innovations at the Zhuhai Air Show. Highlights include the FK-4000 mobile air defense system, capable of using high-power microwaves to intercept small drones from nearly 2 miles away. Microwave weapons are faster, more efficient, and cover larger areas than traditional systems. […]”
Instagram Post | Archived Link
Below is a snapshot of a post on Threads on November 18, 2024, stating, “China has unveiled a microwave weapon that can fry enemy drones at a distance of about 2 miles.”
As the claim widely spread across social media platforms, it began to appear in a multitude of posts from different users here (archived), here (archived), here (archived), here (archived), here (archived), here (archived), and here (archived).
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo began debunking the claim by conducting a reverse image search, which revealed the following facts.
Running a Google Reverse Image Search revealed that the original image is not related to the Chinese military technology claimed to be the latest advanced innovation designed to counter drones.
According to a report by The Sun, the photo depicts the British military’s advanced weapon called “DragonFire.” South Korea’s government is interested in deploying this technology to counter the threat of North Korean drones.
Below is a snapshot of the photo originally published in The Sun in July this year. The report stated that the South Korean government was interested in purchasing this weapon to counter drone invasions from North Korea.
The Sun Report | Archived Link
By searching with the keyword “DragonFire,” we discovered that the photo was originally published by the U.K. government earlier this year. It depicts a trial of the laser weapon conducted by the Ministry of Defense at Hebrides Range last year.
In its official statement (archived), the U.K. government claimed that the laser weapon system could precisely destroy aerial targets as small as a coin from about 1 kilometer away during tests conducted at the designated site.
The U.K. government’s statement also mentioned a video of the weapon system trial, which is publicly available on YouTube.
According to a report by the Chinese state-owned media Global Times, China unveiled its laser weapon system at Airshow China two years ago. The system is claimed to be capable of destroying small, slow-moving aerial targets at a low cost.
Below is a snapshot of the Chinese laser weapon system displayed at Airshow China in 2022, as published by the Global Times.
Global Times Report | Archived Link
Earlier this month, the South China Morning Post (archived) reported that Chinese scientists have completed trials of a high-power beam weapon and have deployed this technology on military vehicles.
According to a report by Asia Times, Chinese scientists claim that the newly developed weapon, known as HPM, is powered by four compact and efficient Stirling closed-cycle heat engines. Read the full story here (archived)
However, aside from animated videos and pictures, no authentic photos of the Chinese high-power microwave weapon test are available for public viewing.
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CONCLUSION
Fact Crescendo determined that the claim lacked context. The photo of the laser weapon is not from a trial of the Chinese high-power microwave weapon. Instead, the photo is genuinely from the test of Britain’s laser weapon, “DragonFire,” conducted last year.
Title:Photo of British Laser Weapon Test Falsely Linked to Chinese Microwave Weapon
Written By: Fact Crescendo TeamResult: Missing Context
