In what comes as a revolutionary piece of engineering, a Chinese scientist, known as “Crazy Li” has equipped small drones with the capability to emit powerful metal-cutting laser beams – a feat previously believed to be impossible. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Li Xiao, an associate researcher at the National University of Defence Technology under the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), spearheaded the innovation that has been documented in the Chinese journal Acta Armamentarii.

The research envisions a scenario where a solitary small drone is able to take on a squad of fully armed soldiers. The drone emits a near-infrared laser that is 200 million times more powerful than a beam of 1080 nanometres wavelength that can cause blindness at a power of just five microwatts. A laser of such intensity is “sufficient to cut through” metal, as per the study.

“In future applications, multiple drones can be equipped with this device to detect targets and then request illumination from the ground, further improving response speed,” the study highlighted.

Currently, generating a laser beam that is capable of piercing a metal body requires large equipment usually loaded on a truck which limits its use in real-life situations. However, Li’s team has developed a compact solution that allows these high-powered lasers to be deployed on much smaller platforms, like consumer-grade drones.

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How was it accomplished?

This was accomplished using a novel device that can redirect a laser beam from a ground station, allowing the drone to act as a mobile laser weapon without carrying the power source itself. This boosts the laser power emitted by the drone to 30kW or even higher whilst also allowing the beam to bend in the sky — bypassing obstacles and hitting the target efficiently.

As per the paper, the scientists had solved most of the technical problems associated with the new laser drone. Notably, the main impediment to its success is the vibration generated during the drone flight which can cause the beam to scatter. As per Li, the device must have excellent vibration isolation technology to avoid such a scenario.

However, as the tech progresses from research to potential deployment, the global community will have to be on its toes to consider the implications for both military strategy and international arms control discussions.