North Korea has claimed it has successfully tested a “carbon-fibre bomb”, a specialised weapon designed not to cause direct casualties but to cripple critical infrastructure by triggering large-scale power outages.

Also known as a graphite or blackout bomb, the weapon works by dispersing fine, electrically conductive carbon fibres over key installations such as power lines, substations and transformers. Once these fibres settle, they can cause short circuits and cascading failures across the grid, leading to widespread blackouts without physically destroying buildings.

The concept is not new. The US-developed “blackout bomb,” officially known as the BLU-114/B (Bomb Live Unit), is designed to disrupt electricity rather than cause direct explosions. It works by releasing submunitions that burst open in the air and scatter fine carbon filaments over power infrastructure. These filaments settle on high-voltage transmission lines, causing short circuits and widespread power outages. The weapon is typically deployed as part of the CBU-94 bomb, which contains over 200 such submunitions, each equipped with parachutes and reels of conductive fibers.

US deployed similar graphite-based munitions during the Gulf War to disrupt Iraq’s electricity network, and again during the NATO campaign in Yugoslavia in 1999. North Korea’s latest claim suggests it may now possess a capability held by only a handful of militaries.

According to state media KCNA, the tests were carried out by the country’s Academy of Defence Science and its Missile Administration. Alongside the blackout weapon, Pyongyang said it tested a cluster-bomb warhead fitted to its Hwasongpho-11 Ka tactical ballistic missile, which it claims can strike targets across a wide area. An electromagnetic weapon system was also reportedly trialed, with the ability to disable electronic circuits — potentially affecting advanced military platforms such as stealth fighter jets and naval systems.

Officials involved in the tests described the carbon-fibre bomb and electromagnetic systems as “special assets” for the country’s armed forces. Analysts note that North Korea also emphasised the use of “low-cost raw materials” during its drills, a signal that it may be aiming to mass-produce such weapons.

The timing of these developments is being closely watched. The tests come ahead of a planned visit by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to North Korea, and amid reports that Donald Trump could pursue fresh diplomatic engagement with leader Kim Jong Un during an upcoming trip to China.