This is an interesting new technology:
On October 22nd the U.S. Air Force tested CHAMP (Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project), which is an air launched cruise missile equipped with a device that can be aimed at a ground target it and hit it with a burst of microwave energy that disables (by damaging many microelectronics components) computers, radios, GPS and any electronic equipment that is not “hardened” (built with casings that keep out the microwave radiation). For the CHAMP test, the missile aimed its beam at seven different ground targets (buildings containing various types of military and civilian electronic equipment) and disabled nearly all the electronic items. After attacking all these targets, the missile crashed. A combat version would contain some explosives that would destroy the microwave device sufficiently so that it could not be easily duplicated.
If these weapons can be used against Chinese command-and-control and radar sites (assuming they aren't hardened enough to withstand these weapons) and they don't make big booms and craters, we might have more leeway to attack targets inside China that must be neutralized if our fleet is to operate close to China in a fight.
The idea that we can bomb at will inside China with no consequences when we worry (excessively in my view) about what Iran might do to us if we attack Iran is astounding. But we have to fight without allowing China critical sanctuaries if we are at war and intend to win.
