--- title: "China Wants to Mount Laser Cannons on Its Fighter Jets" description: "China is reportedly working on a \"laser attack platform\" for cannons that can be attached to its military's planes, the South China Morning Post reports." date: "2020-01-07" modified: "2020-01-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/china-laser-cannons-fighter-jets" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "china" - "lasers" - "the digest" --- # China Wants to Mount Laser Cannons on Its Fighter Jets ![China is reportedly working on a "laser attack platform" for cannons that can be attached to its military's planes, the South China Morning Post reports.]() *\Image: Alert5/Victor Tangermann\* ## Laser Jets China is reportedly working on a "laser attack platform" that can be attached to its military's aircraft, the [*South China Morning Post* reports](). Notices for the procurement and development of such a system were posted on the official weapons and equipment procurement website of the People's Liberation Army. Government-owned tabloid *Global Times* [suggested]() in a Tuesday report that such an airborne laser weapon could be used to intercept missiles or even shoot down enemy aircraft at close range. ## Top Gun Experts told the *Global Times* that lasers are useful for intercepting missiles and aircraft since they travel at the speed of light without any noticeable time delay. But we have yet to see any such systems materialize, as the technology just isn't there yet, according to the *South China Morning Post**.* ## Pew Pew China isn't alone in its efforts to mount lasers on planes. [According to *Air Force Magazine*](), the U.S. Air Force successfully shot down several missiles during a test run in late April 2019. In 2017, the [*National Interest* reported]() that Russia's new Mikoyan MiG-35 fighter jet might also be armed with laser weapons in the future. It wouldn't be the only laser weapon system China is working on. In 2018, Chinese state media [reported]() that the country's military had added a "host of laser weapons" to its arsenal, among them a road-mobile laser defense system called the LW-30 — hardware reportedly intended to be sold on the international market. **READ MORE:** [Chinese military hints at plans for airborne laser attack weapon]() \[*South China Morning Post*\] **More on lasers:** *[The U.S. Military Is Buying a $130 Million Laser Weapon]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()