Military experts in China claim to have made a massive breakthrough in laser weapon technology

Chinese military experts claim to have achieved a significant breakthrough in laser weapon technology, according to a report from the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Scientists at the National University of Defence Technology in Changsha, Hunan province, have developed a new cooling mechanism that addresses the heat buildup issue associated with high-energy lasers. This cooling technology, as stated by the researchers, completely eliminates the hazardous heat generated during high-energy laser operation, a major technical challenge in laser weapon development.

The cooling system now allows these laser weapons to operate continuously, generating laser beams without interruption or performance degradation. The team, led by laser weapon scientist Yuan Shengfu, published their findings in the Chinese-language peer-reviewed journal Acta Optica Sinica on August 4. They noted that the high-quality laser beams can be produced not only in the initial seconds but maintained indefinitely, thanks to this breakthrough.

The cooling system is designed to remove heat from within the laser weapon while controlling turbulence and vibration, along with improving mirror cleaning through enhanced structures and optimized gas flow. This technology has the potential to revolutionize battle scenarios by extending engagement times, increasing range and damage, and reducing logistical challenges and costs.

The scientists acknowledged the historical enthusiasm for transitioning from kinetic energy to laser energy for rapid energy projection, but noted that despite the development of various types of lasers over the past 60 years, the application of high-energy laser systems has not been successful until now.

As laser weapon development accelerates due to growing arms competition between China and the West, the appearance of this advanced technology may pose new challenges for missile sensors. Previous reports have mentioned the presence of laser guns on high-end military vehicles, such as Air Force One and Apache attack helicopters, which use laser beams to divert homing missiles.