• The Chinese military put out notice it wants airborne laser pods.
• The pods could be used offensively or defensively, against aircraft or even missiles.
• Airborne lasers, moving at light speed, could end dogfighting as we know it.

China’s military is soliciting would-be suppliers for a new airborne laser weapon. Notices on a government website invited defense contractors to provide information on an airborne laser attack pod. Depending on the level of power, the pod could be used to defend a friendly aircraft from incoming missile threats or destroy enemy aircraft and ground targets. Laser weapons are the next revolution in aerial warfare and could make dogfighting obsolete.

According to the South China Morning Post, weain.mil.cn, the official weapons and equipment procurement website of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) published two solicitations to contractors, one titled, “procurement plan for airborne laser attack pod” and the other “price inquiry on procurement plan for controlling software module of laser attack platform.” The solicitations, marked confidential, invited China’s defense firms to bid to develop the items. The Pentagon uses a similar system to procure weapons, equipment, and other technology.

Airborne laser pods would be mounted to Chinese warplanes such as the Shenyang J-15 “Flying Shark” carrier-based fighter, J-20 “Mighty Dragon” heavy fighter, and support aircraft such as the Xi’an Y-20 heavy transport. Their use would depend on the amount of power available. For example, lower power lasers could be used to disable or shoot down air-to-air missiles threatening the aircraft. Alternately, they could blind enemy pilots within visual range. Higher power weapons could damage and even destroy aircraft or larger ballistic missiles.

The U.S. Air Force has already expressed an interest in laser weapons. The service wants to place self-defense laser pods on KC-135 Stratotankers. Although the KC-135 dispenses chaff and flares to spoof radar and infrared guided missiles, the aircraft and others like it lack an “active defense” system capable of shooting down incoming missiles. Air Force Special Operations Command is interested in putting a laser weapon on the AC-130U “Spooky” gunship, giving the flying arsenal a way of destroying or disabling targets on the ground without using guns or missiles.

The service is also interested in an offensive laser pod for fighter jets, including the F-35. The fighter-equipped laser will probably represent the most profound way lasers will change aerial warfare. A weapon powerful enough to damage or destroy another enemy aircraft would be a devastating close range opponent. A laser pod would replace a chemical energy gun like the F-35’s GAU-22/A and short range missiles like the infrared-guided AIM-9X Sidewinder.

SOURCE Yahoo/Populair Mechanics