Lasers to zap missiles? China's 6th gen J-36 jet hints at radical new weapon

China may be exploring the use of high-energy laser weapons on its next-generation fighter aircraft to defend against incoming missiles, after a state-owned aviation institute showcased a fighter-specific laser tracking and aiming system at a defence exhibition in Beijing.The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Beijing Precision Engineering Institute for Aircraft Industry displayed details of a “fighter aircraft laser-weapon tracking and aiming system” at the 14th China International Defence Electronics Exhibition, held from September 15 to 17.Social media posts from the exhibition showed that the system was listed as weighing less than 380 kg, although several key performance specifications were obscured.The display listed transmission power as “00kW”, which could indicate a power level of at least 100kW if the obscured character represents a single digit.