China 'Ready for War' With The US

[The Duke]

As if the Japanese were ready.

Don't tell me about competence of politicians, generals and manufacturers. It doesn't exist. The victory is usually achived by a side that made one fatal mistake lesser.


May be. Or, may be, China will make one fatal mistake lesser and win.

With Chinese reverse-engineered and copied equipment made just not quite up to spec and of materials not quite up to spec?
That's a tough one..

 

[AZrailwhale]

China has successfully conducted a controlled field test of a non-nuclear hydrogen bomb. The South China Morning Post (SCMP) cites a study published in March in the Journal of Projectiles, Rockets, Missiles and Guidance.

The explosion of the 2 kg bomb caused “devastating chemical chain reactions without the use of any radioactive materials,” the publication said. During testing of the device, a fireball emerged, with temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius. It lasted more than two seconds - that's 15 times longer than equivalent TNT explosions.

The bomb was developed by the 705th Research Institute of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), which plays a key role in developing underwater weapons systems.
The bomb was built using a magnesium hydride-based solid-state hydrogen storage device capable of storing significantly more hydrogen than a pressurized cylinder. It was originally designed to power remote areas.

When activated with conventional explosives, magnesium hydride underwent rapid thermal decomposition, releasing hydrogen gas that ignited and burned for long periods of time, the study said
“Hydrogen gas explosions occur with minimal ignition energy, have a wide range and release flames that spread rapidly in all directions,” SCMP quoted the publication's authors as saying.

This combination allows “precise control over the intensity of the explosion, easily achieving uniform target engagement over large areas,” the scientists explained.
According to the article, the tested hydrogen bomb can cause significant thermal damage, as the resulting red-hot fireball lasts longer than a 0.12-second TNT flash.

During testing, it was found that with limited detonation, the peak overpressure reached 428.43 kilopascals at a distance of two meters from the bomb. This represents about 40% of the explosive force in TNT equivalent, but the range of heat propagation is much greater.

Whether the Chinese army is going to use such a weapon is unclear, SCMP notes. The study does not specify the source of obtaining such large quantities of magnesium hydride for testing.
Until recently, laboratories produced only a few grams of the substance per day because binding hydrogen to magnesium requires high temperatures and pressure. Accidental exposure to air during the production process can lead to explosions and fatalities, the publication writes. In 2025, a plant capable of producing 150 tons of magnesium hydride per year started operating in China's Shaanxi province.

So it’s a FAE bomb like we have been using for decades using a LESS energetic fuel for the explosion.