Nitin J Ticku
China’s rising power in military technology was on full display during the Victory Day parade in Beijing on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in the Second World War.
However, behind China’s rising dominance in emerging military technologies, even surpassing the US in many critical areas, lies a simple fact – Beijing’s near-total dominance in processing critical rare-earth magnets and emerging semiconductor technologies, such as producing gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology.
Gallium nitride (GaN) is absolutely critical in producing next-generation radars, which can be used in missiles, tanks, naval warships, fighter jets, and air defense systems.
For instance, China’s J-20 stealth fighter’s GaN-based AESA radar could boost detection range and jamming resistance, outpacing older tech. Similarly, the PL-15 missiles, recently used during the India-Pakistan clash, have a GaN-powered radar seeker that ensures precise targeting and superior anti-jamming capabilities.
China’s dominance in controlling the production and supply of Gallium nitride (GaN) is fueling a military revolution in China on the one hand, while by choking the supply of this critical semiconductor to the US, Beijing ensures that the gap between China and the US in the field of emerging military technologies will keep on widening.
According to a report by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Physics, China’s growing dominance in gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology gives it a strategic advantage that is reshaping the global arms race.
“Behind this technological advancement lies a ‘hidden thread’ of semiconductor development: China’s GaN-based semiconductor technology has reached maturity,” said the report, which was also released on September 3, the same day as China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing.
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