China just built a rifle similar to 'Star Wars' laser weapon. It features the same powerful energy beam so it can burn its target even it's half a mile away.
South China Morning Post reported that Chinese scientists developed this new weapon that weighs around three kilos or 6.6 pounds. When fired, the laser is not visible but it can instantly 'carbonize' human skin. It means that it can inflict serious damage by instantly setting the person on fire.
"If the fabric is flammable, the whole person will be set on fire. The pain will be beyond endurance," one of the researchers said.
Likewise, the laser rifle can burn through clothes in a split second but apparently, it was not really designed to shot or kill a living target. In fact, the Public Service Platform for National Civil-Military Integration categorized the ZKZM-500 laser assault rifle or the laser AK-47 as a non-lethal weapon.
The new gun was developed and tested by scientists at the Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences located in Shaanxi province. It is now ready for mass production but its creators still need to find a production company that can legally reproduce them in batches.
Each laser AK-47 assault rifle is said to cost around $15,000 and once they are made, ordinary citizens cannot buy them. These ultramodern weapons that were first seen in 'Star Wars' movies are set to be distributed to the Chinese army, police and anti-terrorism squads only, Live Science reported.
To get more idea of how powerful the AK-47 rifle is, a source revealed that the laser beam is invisible when fired. Plus, the weapon does not make a sound so "Nobody will know where the attack came from. It will look like an accident," he said. At any rate, the source does not want to be named because the project is quite sensitive.
Meanwhile, back in May, the Pentagon has filed a complaint against China for allegedly hurting two of its pilots when they were about to land at an American base in Djibouti. It was claimed that Chinese personnel stationed at its military base in East Africa has pointed military-grade laser beams at the approaching U.S. aircraft and the pilots' eyes were injured as a result.
According to CNN, two U.S. military officials told them that this issue is a major concern as it can cause big accidents if not addressed. The Pentagon further claimed that this is not the first incident where laser beams were directed at their small aircraft. It happened a few times already and this prompted them to file a diplomatic protest.
In response to the protest, the Chinese denied wrongdoing by saying that these are groundless accusations. They added that China "consistently strictly abides by international law and laws of the local country, and is committed to protecting regional security and stability."
