Fortifying India: Why graphite bombs are now a strategic priority

Modern warfare is changing faster than most people realise. Future wars may not start with buildings collapsing or fighter jets bombing cities. Instead, a country can be brought to its knees simply by switching off its electricity. One such weapon, known as the graphite bomb, has now become a serious national security concern for India(BHARAT). China publicly demonstrated this weapon in June 2025, and many defence experts now warn that India(BHARAT) must urgently understand this threat before it is too late.

A graphite bomb does not destroy infrastructure with traditional fire or explosions. Instead, it attacks the electricity system directly. The bomb spreads extremely fine carbon filaments over electrical installations like power stations, transformers and high-voltage transmission lines. These thin carbon threads are so light that they float down slowly like confetti ( (tiny light paper pieces thrown in celebrations).But the moment they touch live power equipment, they trigger short circuits. Transformers trip, power shuts down and darkness spreads rapidly over large areas. The blackout can then ripple across interconnected grids, causing a chain reaction that can paralyse entire regions.

China’s recent test showed the seriousness of this technology. The weapon they displayed had a range of around 290 km and carried about 90 small submunitions. When these are released, they scatter carbon filaments over a very wide area. What makes the graphite bomb even more dangerous is that it leaves no obvious physical damage behind. There are no destroyed buildings or visible blast marks. Yet, hospitals, airports, water supply systems, command centres, industries and banking networks can all suddenly stop functioning.

This is not a new or experimental weapon. The United States used graphite bombs in the 1991 Gulf War and disabled around 85% of Iraq’s electricity grid within days. Similar weapons were again used by NATO in 1999 during the Kosovo conflict, knocking out nearly 70% of Serbia’s power network. These examples clearly show that graphite bombs are proven military tools, not theoretical concepts. With China now openly demonstrating this technology, it is clear that such weapons are no longer limited to the West.

India(BHARAT) faces particular risk because our electrical infrastructure is large, open and exposed. Many power stations and substations are outdoors and easily vulnerable to such attacks. India(BHARAT)’s grid is also highly interconnected. Normally, this helps in sharing load and improving efficiency. But in a graphite bomb attack, a failure at one critical point can spread like a domino effect to multiple states. Imagine this happening during a border conflict. Military radars, drones, missile defence networks, airbases and naval command systems could instantly face disruptions. At the same time, civilian panic would explode across cities with traffic signals off, banking systems halted, ATMs useless and communication networks collapsing.

A mass blackout has a psychological impact equal to, or even greater than, traditional bombings. Urban India(BHARAT)ns today depend on 24×7 electricity for every aspect of life. A sudden blackout covering large areas would not only create fear, but also confusion and social chaos. Social media, instead of helping, would worsen panic with rumours spreading faster than official news. Factories would stop production, stock markets would freeze, hospital equipment would shut down and water pumping stations would stop. In only a few hours, India(BHARAT) could suffer economic losses equal to months of conventional warfare — without a single building being destroyed.

So, how does India(BHARAT) respond to this kind of silent warfare? The first step is redesigning and hardening critical power infrastructure. Equipment at strategic locations — especially those linked to defence, space, nuclear, aviation and national-level communication — must be protected. Countries have already started coating vital electrical equipment with special protective materials that resist carbon filament shorting. India(BHARAT) must immediately increase the pace of such upgrades.

The second major defence lies in creating isolated micro-grids for essential sectors. These are independent power systems that function separately from the national grid. Every major military base, major hospital, air command centre, nuclear facility and strategic communication hub should operate with its own dedicated and shielded power supply. India(BHARAT) has already begun building micro-grid systems in some defence installations, but the scale needs to increase many times faster.

The third requirement is strengthening early warning and air defence. Graphite bombs are delivered through missiles or aircraft. India(BHARAT) needs better radar calibration and additional layered air defence capabilities — especially near border-region power hubs, space installations, major refineries and large defence industrial corridors. Detecting and stopping the weapon carrier before release becomes absolutely vital.

Fourth, India(BHARAT) must prepare for rapid recovery. Even if some damage happens, power must be restored quickly. Emergency spare parts, mobile transformers, generator trucks and rapid response teams must be pre-positioned. Power utilities and defence forces must regularly conduct drills based on graphite bomb attacks to improve response speed.

Alongside physical measures, cyber protection becomes equally important. China is already believed to be conducting cyber probing of India(BHARAT)n power networks. If a graphite bomb strike is combined with a cyber attack, the impact can be multiplied several times. Therefore, power control systems must be shielded, isolated and kept safe from foreign access.

Finally, India(BHARAT) must also think in terms of deterrence. The logic is simple: adversaries hesitate to use a certain kind of weapon if they fear similar retaliation. India(BHARAT) may not need to openly declare it, but considering development of such non-kinetic capabilities is a strategic necessity so that no enemy can assume India(BHARAT) is defenceless in this domain.

Diplomatically, India(BHARAT) can also raise this issue at global levels. Weapons which are non-lethal but target civilian infrastructure are extremely destabilising and must be discussed on international platforms. Still, expecting a global ban will be difficult since major powers already possess them.

The future of war will depend on shutting down a society’s functioning, not just destroying soldiers and objects. For India(BHARAT), protecting the electricity grid has now become a national security priority. If India(BHARAT) does not prepare now, even a short-duration blackout during a border crisis can damage military readiness, break economic confidence and shatter public morale. It is time for New Delhi to recognise the seriousness of graphite bomb threats — and act before such a weapon is ever used against us.

(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India(BHARAT) Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)