China’s Poly Technologies Inc has showcased a laser gun developed to shoot down drones at a defense fair held in Central Asia. At last week’s International Exhibition of Weapons Systems and Military Equipment in Kazakhstan, the tech arm of China’s largest state-owned arms dealer China Poly Group, which represents the nation’s defense contractors in international sales, said its cutting-edge laser gun called Silent Hunter could be deployed either by police for counter-terrorism or the military for air defense.
In a mock interception display, the gun aimed laser beams at a drone flying at some 300 meters and downed it instantly.
The laser weapon is capable of intercepting low-altitude, slow-speed, small-sized aerial targets such as drones, on the strength of its strong anti-jamming capability and high accuracy, according to People’s Daily.
Its developers said drones with growing payloads had become easier to obtain and could be used to launch terror attacks, so police worldwide were in need of tools like the Silent Hunter to intercept or bring them down.
They claimed the portable laser gun can also be used as a tactical weapon for air defense, either at a moving target or at naval vessels.
There is also a civilian version with reduced laser power to jam the communication systems of drones, which could possibly be popular with celebrities or government officials who like their privacy.
UK-based Jane’s Defence Weekly reported in 2017 that during the 2016 G20 Summit in China’s Zhejiang Province, the Silent Hunter was deployed to provide aerial clearance for the venue.
Its laser can reportedly penetrate a target’s exterior as thick as 10 millimeters from 800 meters away.