In what will surely make everyone feel safer, the Chinese Military confirmed that it has developed a megawatt-class laser gun, which can destroy targets within as little as five seconds, with no collateral damage. The weapon, labelled a “low altitude guard”, defends against slow, small targets, such as what’s left of the drone pictured above.

News of China’s laser weapon technology first broke last November, when it was reported that the weapons would be used to safeguard large-scale events in urban areas.

The announcement by the Chinese military comes two years after the US Navy debuted laser weaponry on American warships. Designed for use against drones and other vessels, the solid-state laser weapons were first deployed to the Persian Gulf.

No photographs of the Chinese laser gun have yet been published.

Photo: People’s Daily Online