Maggern
Junior Member
You mean hey-I'm-a-fanboy-and-I-think-this-might-be-real-like-the-earthquake-gun-of-the-US-and-the-international-conspiracy-of-space-reptiles, or do you mean there's actually indication of a serious effort in design and prototypization, outside mere studies on the US airborne laser system? Frankly, at the level laser technology is nowadays, I don't see how it would be small and effective enough to have any place in a saturation defense. Most likely, for it to be strong enough to knock out missiles (physically knocking them out, most likely the missiles within range would be in terminal guidance, hence blinding them or disabling controls would be of little use), it would be so large they would have to dedicate a whole ship to that sole role, which would make it yet another target to be protected (what would the energy demand even be? Is this even feasible without nuclear reactors? People are still discussing whether EMAL is possible without nuclear reactors)
As with all laser technology, I'm sure there's some studies into it. Technology advances rapidly in this area. But I don't see laser-equipped ships protecting a carrier in the Indian Ocean any time soon (though considering the open time frame of sinosoldier, I guess we cannot rule it out).
EDIT: Why am I even discussing this with myself? Even sinosoldier has waved it off as fanboy speculation...
YJ-12 is said to be some top secret supersonic antiship cruise missile. I don't expect this missile to be small. Seen how big surface launched supersonic ASCMs are?
