chinese laser weapon development

SamuraiBlue

Captain
As siegecrossbow suggested it depends on range weather, exposure time,etc. A good high power industrial laser cutter of 600W can cut through if it's close enough and if you give it enough time but apparently this would not do much as a weapon.
The problem would be how to squeeze large amount of energy at one time without various electrical components to explode but is compact enough so it can be transported on a van or other small size vehicles.
Another point is direct energy weapons are not designed to defeat 1000mm of steel armor on the battle field. Missiles, cars, planes, etc. have far less armor plating to obtain maximum range.
 

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Another point is direct energy weapons are not designed to defeat 1000mm of steel armor on the battle field. Missiles, cars, planes, etc. have far less armor plating to obtain maximum range.

Especially relevant for missiles and aircraft since compromising the airframe (a lot easier to do than slagging through solid armour) can cause them to break apart in mid-air.
 

no_name

Colonel
I was thinking control environment since 1000 mm steel is good benchmark for modern tank armor.

For tanks what you can do with laser you can probably get farther easier with kinetic perpetrator; the only advantage I can think of is that with lasers, what you aim is what you hit. It that case it might be better used to target the opponent's optical systems and electronics.
 

Zool

Junior Member
I think for armor, rather than burning through with a laser a better solution would be a particle weapon. One possibility for that is two streams of high energy particles colliding on or just in front of a target causing an explosive reaction. It's a little more exotic and firmly in the research stage.
 
Top