Chinese military scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the development of laser weapons that could change the picture of modern combat equipment. They have found a new way to cool laser units, which will allow them to fire laser beams without interruption, making them much more effective and usable in real combat.
China is actively working on developing laser weapons that can be used to destroy missiles, drones and fighter jets. This could potentially replace existing air defense systems. Although the U.S. is also pursuing programs to develop combat lasers, many of them face problems related to cooling, size and weight of the units.
Recent Chinese developments may solve some of these problems. China has already demonstrated a prototype of a next-generation aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic weapons and laser units. Such a promising “super-ship” could theoretically replace an entire fleet of ships. China is already surpassing the United States in the number of warships, and recently successfully simulated a hypersonic attack on U.S. aircraft carriers.
Washington is seriously concerned about China’s technological progress. The White House has declared an “emergency” because of China’s growing military and intelligence lag. President Biden banned Wall Street from investing in Chinese companies in the fields of microelectronics, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
The White House’s goal is to slow China’s development so that it lags behind the U.S. by 1-2 generations. However, China already leads in 37 of 44 key technology areas, is twice ahead of the U.S. in the number of registered patents, and for the first time surpasses America in the most cited scientific publications. The latest military developments, such as hypersonic weapons and lasers, show that the US is finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with China in the arms race.
