Comparison of Laser Weapons between China and America

Laser weapon is a kind of weapon that accurately shoots long-range targets with high-energy laser. It can be divided into tactical laser weapons and strategic laser weapons. It has excellent properties such as rapidity, flexibility, accuracy and anti-electromagnetic interference, and can play a unique role in photoelectric countermeasures, air defense and strategic defense. At present, many big countries are developing such weapons, but the development level of each country is also uneven. China and the United States are the best countries to develop laser weapons, and China still attaches great importance to laser weapons. Although it started 10 years later than the United States and Russia, it can be said that it is a latecomer. So what is the current level of laser weapons in China and the United States?

China's laser weapon technology is not worse than that of the United States, and even ahead of the United States in some aspects. For example, from 2065438 to February 2009, a destroyer 052D "Hohhot" of our army carried out laser irradiation on the US P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft that came for reconnaissance. The actual laser warning shows that our army's laser weapons have been equipped on board. The laser weapons equipped on the "Hohhot" ship should have the ability to shoot down drones and burn incoming missiles. Of course, after reducing the power, it can also be used to dazzle and blind enemy planes. American laser weapons are still being tested, and they have been tested for more than ten years. The most recent experiment was in May 2020, when the United States locked and destroyed a drone equipped with a solid-state laser weapon system on the amphibious dock transport ship Portland. It can be seen from two incidents that we are ahead of the United States in the practical application of laser weapons, so we are not behind in this field.

In fact, as early as 20 14, the ultra-short and ultra-strong laser developed by Shanghai Institute of Optics and Mechanics, the main participant of China's "Shen Guang" project, achieved the laser pulse output of 1000 trillion watts, which is the highest power output of similar lasers in the world so far. China's ultra-strong solid-state laser is world-class. The laser beam emitted by it can obtain an energy density of 35kJ per square centimeter at a distance of 3,000km, which is nearly 1 order of magnitude higher than the damage necessary for attacking missiles. Moreover, we are developing a heavy strategic laser weapon system, which is mainly used to destroy enemy military satellites and important targets in wartime. It can be said that China's laser weapon level is among the best in the world.

The reason why laser weapons are developed by various countries is mainly because of their advantages such as low launch cost, simple operation and great deterrence. Compared with the cost of millions or tens of millions of traditional missiles, laser weapons can be launched indefinitely in theory, and are not limited by the number of ammunition. The cost is only a few dollars, which is quite cheap, but the effect is very ideal.

Laser weapon This is a revolutionary weapon in the future, which is likely to change the future war form. With further research and development, missiles are likely to withdraw from the future battlefield, and the range and speed of laser weapons are incomparable to traditional weapons. However, at present, laser weapons also have their shortcomings. Laser weapons are not suitable for all-weather operations. Weather conditions such as fog, heavy snow and rainstorm will have a great impact on its performance, and the atmosphere itself will also interfere with laser emission, including the atmosphere will absorb laser energy and atmospheric disturbance will cause energy attenuation. Therefore, we can overcome the influence of these unfavorable factors in the future, and believe that this weapon has a future!