Armies around the world are testing high-energy laser weapons to intercept targets. If their claims are true, it would mean that China has leapfrogged ahead of the US in developing high-energy laser weapons that could be used on the battlefield. The capability China's military scientists claim to have developed, however, has not yet been seen in action. Laser beams can heat up gas in the air, which can reduce the quality of the beam and cause damage inside the laser chamber, according to the report. The Marines have tested a Compact Laser Weapons System in the range of 2 to 10 kilowatts, and the Air Force has received high-energy laser pods for its fighter jets.

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Persons: Steve Weaver, Lockheed Martin Organizations: Service, China Morning, National University of Defence Technology, Optica Sinica, British, Energy, Lockheed, US Department of Defense's, US Army, Marines, Air Force, Defense Department, Office Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Hunan, Optica, United States, Portland