【Military Second Dimension】 Author: Lile
As one of the manifestations of embracing the drone era, the 7th Abu Dhabi Drone Exhibition opened on January 20. AVIC participated as usual and brought a large number of works, among which the OW5-A50 anti-drone laser system, which made its "international debut" for the first time, was the most prominent. The website "Army Recognition" commented on this, saying, "China intends to lead the global next-generation air defense export market, including laser weapons."
▲The comment from "Army Recognition" website is quite realistic
Strictly speaking, this is not the first time that the OW5 series laser weapon has appeared at an exhibition. At the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, NORINCO had already publicly displayed the 10 kW, 30 kW, and 50 kW models under the code name "Tian Dun." The OW5-A50 is currently the highest power model with 50 kW. According to the information at the airshow, it can work continuously for three minutes, with an interval of eight seconds (the longer the working time, the longer the interval). Theoretically, it targets various types of drones and loitering munitions, and can also intercept helicopters, even mortar shells and cruise missiles. In addition, NORINCO has confirmed that this series has already been used in combat in the Middle East, successfully intercepting more than 110 drones, making it an excellent equipment that has been tested in real combat.
▲Due to lack of conditions, this time AVIC brought a model
"Army Recognition" website believes that mobile laser weapons are among the "most influential military modernizations since 2022." Because the Ukraine war proved the value of drones on the modern battlefield, any combat preparation that does not prevent drones will face a "devastating strike." Traditional air defense systems centered on radar and ballistic missiles are actually in a dilemma where they use expensive air defense missiles worth $100,000 to intercept cheap drones worth $1,000, and are easily damaged or destroyed. High-energy laser weapons mounted on off-road chassis can adjust positions according to needs, with mobility comparable to or even better than traditional short-range air defense systems. Their firepower continuity and economy are completely on another level.
▲The actual vehicle-mounted laser weapon system at the Zhuhai Airshow
Hongqi-17 is a typical field short-range air defense unit, carrying 16 rounds of ammunition, and replenishing ammunition takes a long time. The small-caliber self-propelled anti-aircraft guns used more by Ukraine are relatively better in terms of ammunition capacity, but their interception efficiency is hard to guarantee. New generation high-energy air defense equipment represented by the OW5-A50, with heavy off-road chassis and independent power generation system, theoretically can maintain basic uninterrupted firepower for one day or several days. By the way, including new generation main battle armored platforms equipped with hybrid devices, all belong to the examples of investing huge resources to develop military advanced technology, then applying it on a large scale to domestic civilian cars, forming a similar case of military-civilian technology complementarity like shipbuilding industry.
▲Fast ammunition consumption is a clear shortcoming of artillery
In fact, we have mentioned before that the Chinese laser air defense system is the only one globally with practical capabilities and a complete series of new generation anti-drone units within the short term (before 2030). With the spillover of drone tactics and operational concepts brought about by the Ukraine war, there will certainly be some explosive incidents when most countries still have no clear understanding of drones. Purely defensive weapons such as the OW5-A50 are now standing at the forefront of the times. This world never lacks smart people; Saudi Arabia and the UAE had already cooperated with AVIC to test drones before the outbreak of the Ukraine war, accumulating a lot of combat experience.
▲Anti-drone combat system at the Zhuhai Airshow
Recently, the UAE, based on confirming the results of Chinese laser weapon tests, was reported to be transporting mass-produced wheeled laser weapons to the port, which is the first order for domestic entry into this new field. Strong demand combined with an unchallenged position, this is destined to be only the first order of Chinese laser weapons. Moreover, in the strategic location higher and the medium and long-range air defense systems with performance far exceeding that of the previous ones, China's performance has become increasingly outstanding. Especially the key HONGQI-9 series, which has made significant progress in the Central Asian market and quietly landed in Azerbaijan, achieving results beyond expectations.
▲The performance of Hongqi-9 is much stronger than expected
With the gradual popularization of fifth-generation fighters, anti-stealth warfare has become a real need. The Chinese Hongqi-20, the world's first dedicated anti-stealth system, has been mass-produced and publicly unveiled. While the US air defense system has only patched up the "Patriot," it still has no groundbreaking new model. In the stealth era, the US Air Force not only lags behind in fifth-generation half and sixth-generation aircraft, but even its ground-to-air missile systems have been surpassed.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7597732239115305487/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.