A laser firing rifle is a staple in most science fiction universes- a blast of energy that can kill or destroy the enemy almost instantly is something that has been played out numerous times through the decades.
China now claims to have, in their possession, a handheld rifle that shoots laser beams powerful enough to cause burns, set clothes on fire and even cause explosions by heating up surfaces. Images and renders of the weapon show a rifle with scopes that could belong in a video game.
The story was first reported by the Chinese daily- the South China Morning Post which describes the gun as a laser wonder weapon called the ZKZM-500. The weapon is not entirely sleek and streamlined like modern weapons, but boxy with a pistol grip and a foregrip. It is reportedly powered by lithium-ion batteries- similar to the ones that power Tesla cars and mobile phones.
The gun has enough power to allegedly fire off 1,000 two-second shots in one charge, notes a report by Popular Mechanics.
Makers of the weapon say that the laser beams it fires off are intended to cause burning, and the pain levels it puts out are supposed to be beyond that of human endurance. The heat that the lasers produce is also enough to set clothes on fire, burn through gas tanks, and even cause explosions to fuel tanks.
Being a laser weapon, it is completely silent and the beam is invisible as well, so it could be perfect for covert operations, if this rifle actually exists, notes the report. China actually claims that ZKZM-500 is actually ready for mass production and will soon be fielded with the Chinese version of Gendarmes- a heavily armed law enforcement agency called the People's Armed Police.
While a weapon like this seems fantastical, dangerous, and even a bit exciting, the report mentions that it is unlikely for China to even have this weapon in the first place. The US also has laser weapons with similar capabilities, but they are so large that they need to be mounted on vehicles and ships. The SCMP report does not mention the capacity of the batteries. At 1,000 two second shots, the total laser on time is at 33 minutes. Even if the batteries made up most of the weapon, it might not be possible to supply the needed wattage.
Also, if such a weapon exists, it would be against the 1998 Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons, hence making it illegal to use them in war.
This gun is not necessarily intended to blind people, but seeing its claimed capabilities, the ZKZM-500 can easily blind an opponent if the beams hit the eyes. Having said that, there is another Chinese weapon that was introduced, the PY-132A laser, which was specifically designed to blind. China seems to be working around the blinding protocol issue by not handing these weapons to the army but giving it to armed internal police.
