Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations
In news
The Indian Army has rejected a report which claimed that the Chinese army had used microwave weapons to drive Indian soldiers away from their positions in eastern Ladakh.
Key takeaways
These are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons.
They aim highly focused energy in the form of sonic, laser, or microwaves, at a target.
They use beams of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation to heat the water in a human target’s skin, causing pain and discomfort.
A number of countries are thought to have developed these weapons to target both humans and electronic systems.
Concerns have been raised on whether they can damage the eyes, or have a carcinogenic impact in the long term.
Do you know?
China had first put on display its “microwave weapon”, called Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014.
The United States has also developed a prototype microwave-style weapon, which it calls the “Active Denial System”.
The US apparently deployed such a weapon in Afghanistan, but withdrew it without ever using it against human targets.
Important value additions
In a microwave oven, an electron tube called a magnetron produces electromagnetic waves (microwaves) that bounce around the metal interior of the appliance, and are absorbed by the food.
The microwaves agitate the water molecules in the food, and their vibration produces heat that cooks the food.
Foods with high water content cook faster in a microwave often than drier foods.
