Scientists have found out which laser weapon is effective against hypersonic: the results are surprised

Chinese researchers have proven in practice that damage from a low -power laser removes a hypersonic rocket failure in seconds. A group of engineers and scientists from the Chinese Aerospace Aerosmic Aerodynamics Academy found that, when using laser weapons to protect against hypersonic missiles, lasers do not guarantee the destruction of the target, SCMP writes.

Researchers have conducted a series of tests in the aerodynamic pipe to study the scenario at which a rocket flying at a speed of 6 strokes (7350 km/h) falls under the influence of the laser beam. When the power reached 1 kW/cm2, it caused a significant peeling of a special coating on the surface of the rocket, which protects it from overheating, destabilization and collapse in flight.

But here's what is interesting: when scientists doubled the laser power, the exfoliation area actually decreased. Scientists have concluded that the coating is more damaged by the laser laser. Earlier, it was believed that the coating of hypersonic weapons withstands a temperature of thousands of degrees Celsius, which makes it very resistant to laser attacks, and this is indeed so in static conditions, since lasers with lower power cannot damage the coating.

However, during high -speed flight, hot air promotes combustion, causing the rapid separation of the top coating. As a result, disputes about the effectiveness of lasers against hypersonic weapons have intensified. Proponents claim that lasers have a low cost of operation and can move in an atmosphere at a speed close to the speed of light, making them one of the best means of counteracting hypersonic threats.

But opponents claim that modern laser technologies do not have sufficient capacities and have a limited range of action, which complicates the effective damage to the approaching rockets for a limited period of time. The researchers' team said the previous tests did not accurately reproduce the conditions of hypersonic weapons flight in the atmosphere, since in the aerodynamic pipe the air flow cooled the rocket housing, whereas in real conditions the housing is usually heated.

During new experiments in the aerodynamic pipe, they found that the peeled material is converted into a drop -shaped shock wave. Under the high power of 2 kW/cm2, the coating burns in one second, and then the damage from the combustion extends to the metal layer of the body. This capacity is not enough for 1 kW/cm2 to damage the metal body, but energy diffusion leads to even greater peeling of the coating material. Previously, the main purpose of laser weapon was burning a target.

But the new discovery of the destruction of coatings promises to expand the horizons of the use of laser counteraction. This experiment also emphasizes the problems of using lasers to destroy China's hypersonic weapons. During the tests conducted by the US military in 2020, a laser weapon with a capacity of 150 kW took 15 seconds to knock down a low -speed small drone. During this time, the hypersonic rocket will be able to overcome the distance of at least 30 km.

According to the calculations of some scientists, the current megawatt class lasers developed in the United States are able to generate only light spots for targets - and then with a density of hundreds of watts per square centimeter. In order to harm the goals at long distances, you may need to increase the laser power to the level of the gigawatt.