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A team of Chinese scientists has recently launched a highly advanced electronic warfare weapon design software called Yaoguang. Developed by Professor Li Bin and his team at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Yaoguang has been hailed as one of the most powerful tools for electromagnetic simulation, surpassing its U.S. counterparts in both speed and memory efficiency.
According to Interesting Engineering, Yaoguang’s standout feature is its ability to perform radiation simulation analysis on complex systems, such as the multi-band antennas used in phased array radars, in a fraction of the time required by traditional software. While the widely-used Ansys HFSS, an industry standard for electromagnetic field simulations, takes approximately three hours to complete such analyses, Yaoguang achieves the same result in just 12 minutes. Furthermore, Yaoguang uses less than one-sixth of the memory required by Ansys HFSS, offering a significant advantage in terms of computational efficiency.
The software is not just fast and memory-efficient; it is also capable of handling high-complexity military applications. According to the paper the team published in November, Yaoguang has an ability to analyze the electromagnetic scattering characteristics of large military systems, such as electromagnetic catapult aircraft carriers. In these instances, Yaoguang provides more detailed results in less time—specifically, it enhances the level of detail by 50% while cutting analysis time by 33%.
With such impressive capabilities, Yaoguang could become a game-changer in the development of next-generation electronic warfare technologies. According to SCMP, Its release is particularly significant for China, where access to expensive Western software products like Ansys HFSS could be restricted due to geopolitical factors. By offering Yaoguang for free, the Chinese government aims to replace costly foreign tools with homegrown technology, advancing its defense capabilities. Since its release several months ago, Yaoguang has been made available for free, attracting attention not only within China but also internationally.
