Posted on 06/23/2025 7:56:09 AM PDT by Red Badger
The laser, developed by China’s National University of Defence Technology, beams enough power to disable drones and cut through several materials from over 0.62 miles (1 km) away.
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Chinese scientists have developed a portable 2-kilowatt (kW) fiber laser weapon that can operate in extreme temperatures. Reportedly capable of functioning in conditions between -58°F (-50°C) and 122°F (50°C), the new laser does not require cooling or heating systems. This breakthrough means the laser can be used anywhere on Earth, from the Arctic to the Sahara, without the need for bulky infrastructure.
If true, the innovation is an impressive feat as most lasers of this power class require massive cooling units (like air conditioners in a shipping container) to avoid overheating or freezing. The device has been developed to cater to defense and industrial sectors.
“We have achieved a technological breakthrough in the performance of wide-temperature operating fibre lasers,” Chen Jinbao, vice-president of the National University of Defence Technology which led the development of the laser, explained in the paper published in the Chinese-language journal Higher Power Laser and Particle Beams in July.
2kW laser works anywhere, anytime
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the laser was achieved through a series of innovative developments. The first is a novel pump laser design that naturally produces less heat, helping reduce the need for large cooling systems.
These pump lasers feed energy into the laser-generating fibre. They also integrate smart light injection (9 forward, 18 backward diodes) to send light in multiple directions.
This helps the system stay balanced and efficient, even when temperatures shift drastically. The new laser tech also ensures thermal isolation by moving heat-sensitive parts out of the core laser cavity, keeping them safe from extreme temperature effects.
Tight fibre cooling to a specific diameter of around 3.15 inches (8 cm) helps suppress unwanted light paths (called parasitic modes) that can waste energy or destabilize the beam.
VIDEO AT LINK................
The last, and arguably most important, is the technology’s ytterbium-doped fibre core. Ytterbium is a rare earth metal abundant in China, and is excellent for lasers because it can handle wide temperature ranges. It is also able to convert energy into laser light very efficiently (71% in this system).
Packaging all this together enabled the team to develop a laser that, at 68°F (20°C), achieves a peak power of 2.47 kW with near-perfect beam quality. That’s enough power to disable drones and cut through many types of materials from over 0.62 miles (1 km) away.
Military and industrial applications
Furthermore, the new fiber laser comes with some distinct advantages over other traditional militarized laser systems, such as HELMA-P (France) and IDDIS (India), which require large trucks to transport cooling systems.
China’s laser is portable enough to fit in a suitcase, making it ideal for use in mobile units, drones, or on the battlefield. It should come as no surprise, then, that this laser will likely find a home within the Chinese military.
Beyond military applications, such a laser could be helpful in industries that require precision cutting, welding, and anti-drone protection in factories. It will also prove useful in remote sites, where climate control isn’t always possible.
Moreover, because China controls most of the global supply of ytterbium, this gives the country a home-field advantage in this tech.
Next, Chen and his team are aiming for higher power outputs, wider operating temperature ranges, and better engineering integration to make the device even more compact and rugged. “We will continue to advance experimental research and engineering development, targeting both higher output power and broader operating temperature ranges,” Chen added.
Make it a MW and then it’s something
So we're talking about a small target area like a laser cutter. But does it also require being close to the target (only inches away) like a laser cutter? I guess for that to work as a weapon it'd have to be loaded onto some kind of projectile or torpedo so that it could be against the enemy target (vs the laser mounted onto a navy ship).
Well maybe that Laser welder advertised all over youtube will finally work...
Dewalt is now mostly Black & Decker. A/C Brush motors when brand new fail a lot. The contact brushes need to “burn in” and seat themselves properly. Really good manufacturers run them for hours during the assembly process to accomplish this. Unfortunately that costs a lot in terms of tooling, space, and #of motors produced per hour.
Suuuurrre they do, excuse me while go put on my hip waders; its getting deep around here.
Actually they are the same company
B&D is for amateurs
DeWalt is for pros
There are smarties around here that would know the calculations on energy over distance thru atmosphere (air). I do not, but it drops bigly into nothingness in very short distances.
“portable” means it has a handle on it................
Same stuff, different skins. I know. I did QC for them. The only true Dewalt good stuff is made in Italy. Stuff like Routers, Planing, etc.....Tools like drills, reciprocating saws, jigsaws, and virtually all hand tools, are all the same junk.
Hmmm..... interesting
The High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system uses a modular power and fiber-optic configuration that can be expanded to fire at between 60 and 120 kW. Besides drone and missile defense, it also performs long range surveillance (ISR) and sensor dazzling. Its purported advantages are high precision, efficient "cost to kill", and power capacity for multiple shots ranging as far as 6 miles. As of 2024, higher-power laser weapons in the 150 to 300 kW range are being tested against anti-ship cruise missiles.
snip...
For HELIOS, the U.S. Navy has installed Aegis software capable of operating the laser system on DDG 81, 89, 122, 124 and 127, all of which could receive a HELIOS weapon system if the U.S. Navy pursues such an option. In the meantime, HELIOS testing will continue in 2025 onboard USS Preble.
DOD to unveil giant mirror in 3...2...
The biggest failures were in packaging graphics, trigger pull interference against the case moldings. (Can cause to be stuck on), and the out of round issues on cut-off wheels, grinders. (some deaths from that).
I wish Ronco or Popeil, or Hazard Fraught made a small laser for my heel and toe calluses, so I could stop using a Surform wood rasp.
Yes, I think Porter Cable is part of Black & Decker too now.
Most of the power tools other than Makita & Milwaukee are all crap now. Even most of those are now made in CHIIIINA.
Almost all of my power tools are now old.
I did buy a Dewalt 1/4 sheet pad sander about five years ago.
My old Makita dies after thirty years.
Speaking of old tools. I just gave away my old radial arm saw. It was a Dewalt from the 1960s. It took all the strength of me and my 27 year old son to get it out of the bulkhead stairs in my basement. There was not one bit of plastic on that machine. It was also VERY top heavy.
You should see the size of the battery pack ...
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