Chinese military invents smart shield designed to make laser weapons useless

Metallic film prevents missiles from being blinded by defence systems while maintaining clear view of targets, researchers say

Experiments suggest vanadium coating could deflect 90 per cent of a beam’s energy, reducing sharp glare to small bright spot, according to paper

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Apache attack helicopters are outfitted with laser systems to defend against missiles. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:00pm, 12 Jan 2023

Military researchers in southeastern China say they have created a material that can prevent missiles from being blinded by laser defence systems while maintaining a clear view of their target.

A lot of high-value military hardware – from Apache attack helicopters to Air Force One – is equipped with laser weapons that can fire a beam to deflect a homing missile.

Most of these defence systems cannot destroy the missile itself, but the beam can produce a large and intense glare on its infrared sensor, causing the missile to lose its target.

Professor Lu Yuan and his colleagues at the National University of Defence Technology in Hefei developed a smart film that is entirely transparent when applied to the lens of an infrared sensor but highly effective at blocking harmful light.

When the missile senses a laser beam, the film turns into a metallic shield that can reflect most of the beam’s energy away like a mirror, according to the researchers.

“This phase-change property can protect infrared thermal imaging systems from laser interference,” Lu’s team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Electronic Measurement and Instrumentation on Tuesday.

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Laser-proof coating for sensors has been around for decades. In some countries, including the US, it is required for military hardware.

Chinese military invents smart shield designed to make laser weapons useless

Metallic film prevents missiles from being blinded by defence systems while maintaining clear view of targets, researchers say Experiments suggest vanadium coating could deflect 90 per cent of a beam’s energy, reducing sharp glare to small bright spot, according to paper

Metallic film prevents missiles from being blinded by defence systems while maintaining clear view of targets, researchers say

Experiments suggest vanadium coating could deflect 90 per cent of a beam’s energy, reducing sharp glare to small bright spot, according to paper