China Claims to Have a Real-Deal Laser Gun

China Claims to Have a Real-Deal Laser Gun That Inflicts 'Instant Carbonization' of Human Skin

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As the U.S. prepares for war in space, China’s bringing the space war home. Its ZKZM-500 laser assault rifle is reportedly capable of hitting a target from a kilometer away, igniting flammable objects, and burning through human skin. And it’s ready for production, the researchers behind the project claim. A weapon that fires a destructive laser beam has been a dream of military researchers for decades. The US military has recently had some luck with huge laser-firing cannons that are intended to be mounted on ships or trucks and can take down a drone by burning through its body. But effective laser rifles for use by individual soldiers have been stuck in the land of fantasy. The South China Morning Post, however, spoke with researchers at the Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics (at the Chinese Academy of Sciences) who say they have developed a powerful laser rifle that will soon be in the hands of Chinese police who focus on anti-terrorism.

Given that it's China, I'm taking this with a very large pinch of salt. Sounds to be more propaganda/wishful thinking than a real in-production device.

The official release makes it sound even more far-fetched: China brings Star Wars to life with ‘laser AK-47’ that can set fire to targets a kilometre away

Regardless, assuming that it's real, given the limitations of the weapon it's nearly useless as a weapon of war, as it is very difficult to kill someone with it. What it would excel at though, is as a weapon of terror, something that is noted indirectly in the latter article, which mentions its potential should it fall into the hands of criminals or terrorists. It's ostensibly for anti-terrorism police units, but given the Chinese definition of "terrorism", it sounds much more like it will be used to put down protesters. The South China Morning Post alludes to such:

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For instance it says law enforcement could counter “illegal protests” by setting fire to banners from a long distance. It also says protest leaders could be targeted by setting fire to their clothing or hair which, the document says, would mean they lose “the rhythms of their speech and powers of persuasion”. But one Beijing police officer said he would prefer to stick to more traditional crowd-control methods such as tear gas, rubber bullets or electrical stun guns, such as tasers. “The laser burn will leave a permanent scar,” he said. He said it would be a “horrid sight” that risked causing panic or transforming a peaceful protest into a riot.

I can definitely see the Chinese regime using such a weapon to terrorize and suppress dissidents, if it actually exists and works as described. That and guerrilla warfare seems to be all such a weapon would be good for.

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