Low Altitude Guard II
This laser is powerful enough so that when linked to a fire
control radar, it could potentially also shoot down enemy artillery
shells, rockets and missiles.
CNTV
An extreme solution to paparazzi drones.
Laser weapons are not just the stuff of Star Wars: The Force Awakens,
but also now a real technology of growing importance to war. On
November 7, 2015, a CCTV newscast showed that China is making great
progress in this new weapons area, showing images of a laser weapon,
the Low Altitude Guardian II (LAG II), destroying airborne targets at a
military test site.
Surprise!
The LAG II has a removable dome that protects the laser's
electro-optical camera and active components when not in combat (also
good for camouflaging the laser when in transit).
Claimed to be China's most powerful laser weapon
in the public domain (there are reports of more powerful but classified
anti-satellite lasers), the LAG II is built by the Chinese Academy of
Physics Engineering and Jiuyuan High Tech Equipment Corporation. Similar
in size to the U.S. Marines' Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy
On-The-Move, it is mounted on a wheeled, towed carriage that carries its
turret, power components, which can be pulled by a light truck. The LAG
II's turret, when its protective dome retracts, uses its
electro-optical sensor to acquire and track targets autonomously, before
destroying it upon command from a human operator. The LAG II could be
upgraded with datalinks to off vehicle radars, which would allow the
engagement of higher speed targets like rocket artillery.
Open Sesame
With the push of a button and turn of a dial, a Chinese soldier
prepares the LAG II for firing by operating its side mounted console to
un-dome the laser. While the laser autonomously seeks and tracks aerial
targets, human operators in a separate vehicle give it the orders to
fire.
CNTV
The LAG II follows quickly on the heels of the
Low Altitude Guard I, a stationary laser weapon with a 10 kilowatt beam,
which was only unveiled in November 2014 for export. The LAG I's laser
has a range of two kilometers, but is less powerful due to its intended
usage as a counter-drone system for law enforcement and
counterterrorist missions.
Along with more powerful but classified
anti-satellite lasers, China's tactical lasers will bring its
anti-access/area denial tactics to lightspeed.
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