How to stop US bunker busters? Chinese scientists have an idea
bunker busters fly slowly but carry
massive warheads wrapped in thick armour. Small nations without air power watch helplessly as bombs fall.
Advertisement
When US B-2 stealth bombers struck Iran's nuclear sites with
GBU-57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) bunker busters on June 22, there was reportedly little resistance.
Chinese researchers have offered a countermeasure: strike the weak flank. Although the bomb's nose armour is thick, its steel sides are thin and measure just a few centimetres, meaning one or two anti-aircraft shells could crack it open.
Low-cost anti-aircraft guns can be deployed around key sites. But the guns must survive, radar must track and electronic
warfare must be countered.
Instead of China's own weapon, the computer simulation used Swiss Oerlikon GDF guns which are widely fielded in the
Middle East , including Iran.
Advertisement
The GDF fires 36 shells in two seconds. At 1,200 metres (0.7 miles), the kill probability hits 42 per cent.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Why China is surging ahead of Trump's America in green energy race
As US-China tensions continue, one contrast stands out sharply between the big power rivals – their approach to energy and climate issues. Advertisement Even as the Trump administration cripples green energy endeavours with executive orders and the ' Big Beautiful Bill ', China is building on its title as the world's largest renewable energy investor. According to the State Grid Energy Research Institute, China is expected to bolster its national power grid by a record 500 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity this year. The energy debate unfolds with the rapidly warming world needing more clean energy than ever, especially as advancing technology drives up demand. Artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative technologies need substantial amounts of electricity to operate, as they rely heavily on data centres and powerful computing infrastructure. Countries worldwide are trying to increase energy production as they invest in new data centres that must be kept running round the clock, with the US and China leading the field. With technology rivalry a central driver of the broader US-China tensions, Beijing has forged ahead with renewable energy goals and boosted related investment in its pursuit of a global tech lead. 01:36 China's largest photothermal power facility drives development of new form of energy China's largest photothermal power facility drives development of new form of energy In contrast, the Trump administration is cancelling tax credits for what it calls 'unreliable 'green' energy sources like wind and solar' that 'compromise America's electric grid'.
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
China's SpinQ sees quantum computing crossing ‘usefulness' threshold within 5 years
Quantum computing is poised to reach a tipping point in three to five years by becoming useful for solving real-world problems, as computers harnessing about 500 qubits become a reality, according to Chinese start-up SpinQ. Founded in 2018 and based in Shenzhen, SpinQ has two main product lines: small-scale nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum computers with about three qubits for educational use and industrial-grade superconducting quantum computers with up to 20 qubits. In 2020, SpinQ launched the world's first programmable desktop NMR quantum computer. In 2023, it shipped a superconducting quantum chip to the Middle East , marking China's first export of such technology. SpinQ said it sold a range of products – including educational quantum computers, superconducting quantum computers, chips, quantum measurement and control systems and application software – to over 50 countries. But SpinQ founder and CEO Xiang Jingen said quantum computing still had a lot of work to do before it was broadly applicable. He compared today's quantum technology to semiconductors in the 1950s, a time when computers were expensive and large and transitioning from vacuum tubes to transistors – and then to integrated circuits.
South China Morning Post
8 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Chinese secondary schools use energetic morning routines to improve student happiness
Secondary schools in China have encouraged students to dance while studying. The idea behind the strategy is to stimulate the brain, improve their mood and reduce the feelings of stress that come from heavy academic demands. Several schools across the nation have used the 'passionate morning reading' method with their pupils. In video clips posted online, teenagers can be seen wiggling their bodies and waving their arms wildly while reading textbooks. In some schools, pupils stand still while studying but are encouraged to chant the text loudly. The activity lasts the whole morning study session, which is usually around half an hour. Some schools hold the energetic study session first thing in the morning. Hengshui High School in northern China's Hebei province is known for its military-style management. The school's morning study session can start as early as 6am.
