At the end of March, the Japanese Defense Agency announced the latest research and development results of laser weapons. Surprisingly, there is an obvious gap between Japan and China in the research and development of laser weapons.

Among them, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries demonstrated its 10KW vehicle-mounted tactical laser weapon. The effective range of the small unmanned aerial vehicle is about 1.2km, and it is loaded on an 8×8 wheeled vehicle. This data is only close to the "Low-altitude Defender" tactical laser weapon system (power 10KW, range 2 km) displayed by China at the 20 14 air show:

Mitsubishi's tactical laser weapon is still in the prototype stage, and it will take some time to serve. China's "Low-altitude Guardian" weapon system has been deployed in actual combat.

20 17 China exhibited the "Silent Hunter" vehicle-mounted tactical laser weapon at the air show. Its power is increased to 30KW, and its effective range for small unmanned aerial vehicles is increased to 4 km, and it is loaded on four-wheeled trucks:

Obviously, China has reduced its size while strengthening its strength. It can also be loaded on 6×6 wheeled vehicles:

In 20 18, 100KW airborne tactical laser weapon pod prototype research appeared in the papers published by China:

In 2020, China has announced the project procurement of airborne laser pods:

This kind of pod is very small, weighing only a few hundred kilograms, but its power is as high as 100KW. This power can already intercept air-to-air missiles, and the effective range can also reach about 10 km. Some people may wonder that such a small size can achieve such great power. For this, we can refer to the real situation in the United States:

Well, it's this big. Is there a feeling that a new era is coming? This is the progress of technology.

As for why China didn't show the higher power of the aircraft and the real thing of the airborne pod at the air show, it is estimated that it is still in a secret state. After all, the export is only about 30-50KW. A little higher will reach the latest level in the United States, so there is no need to sell it.

The pursuit of laser weapons with larger power and smaller volume is the pursuit of every powerful country, and Japan is no exception. At the achievement exhibition of the Defense Agency, Kawasaki Heavy Industries demonstrated its planned tactical laser weapon with a power of 100KW:

I have to say, this volume is too big, and it has become a container. This level is not much better than India. This volume, in China and the United States, is basically a strategic laser weapon. As for the strategic laser weapon, in 2005, China 50- 100KW vehicle-mounted chemical laser weapon conducted a blinding experiment on a satellite with an oblique distance of 600 kilometers.

Some people called on China to build cheap airships or high-altitude balloons and consume American air-to-air missiles/air defense missiles. This data can basically show that it is not practical, because the tactical laser weapons being tested in China and the United States have reached 100- 150KW.

In 20 13 years, the power of China's large-scale deuterium fluoride and iodine oxide laser weapons has reached 300KW. At present, I'm afraid it is 1000KW, which is the level of megawatt (MW).

From this point of view, although the development of civilian laser is OK, there is a huge gap between Japan and China in terms of military laser weapons. This gap, in terms of tactical laser, is close to 10 years; If you count the strategic laser, the gap will probably exceed 10 years.