Do laser weapons exist, what are China’s laser assault rifles and are they in use by military?

LASER weapons sound like the stuff of science fiction films, but they may be more real than you think.

Here's what you need to know about the futuristic weapons, including what China's secretly been developing...

Do laser weapons exist?

The latest evidence that laser weapons are being used by armed forces comes from China.

Researchers say the ZKZM-500 can "instantly carbonise" human skin and tissues, set a person on fire and make them feel ";pain beyond endurance".

A laser weapons scientist said the device was able to "burn through clothes in a split second… if the fabric is flammable, the South China Morning Post reported.

The weapon weighs three kilos - about the same as an AK-47 - has a range of almost 1,000 yards and can be mounted on vehicles.

Does Russia have laser weapons?

It sounds like something that shoots out the Death Star, but laser weapons are used by the military, with Moscow first trying to develop one in the 1980s.

Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov confirmed the revolutionary A-60 plane was being developed back in 2016.

A hi-tech laser beam was apparently being fitted to the Cold War-era jet in top-secret tests carried out by Russian scientists.

It was capable of obliterating enemies with Star Wars-style laser beams, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Who else is using laser weapons?

The US Army is planning to deploy the first laser weapons in 2023 and its Air Force is already trying out prototype weapons.

The Air Force is working with Special Operations Command to develop an offensive laser that will be fitted to AFSOC AC-130 gunships.

Part of that technology includes "beam-steering and power and thermal management".

The Air Force Research Laboratory is also working on a defensive laser shield, with a 360-degree laser 'bubble' surrounding a US warplane.

Super-sonic new laser weapons could also be tested on supersonic US Air Force jets within the next two years.

Hi-tech fighter aircraft will be equipped with a laser beam system which tracks and destroys targets.

China has also developed laser weapons straight out of a science fiction film. Last year, they unveiled the PY132A laser gun, which blinds enemy sensors and cameras.

The guns have telescopic sight to aim at the thermal or night imaging sight of a tank during battle, and can take down drones.

Does Russia already have laser weapons?

The country claims its laser program is on the same level as the US, but it has kept tight-lipped about the system.

Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov revealed in August that the Russian military has commissioned several types of laser weaponry.

The A-60 project has long been speculated about, but the latest announcement by Borisov is the first acknowledgement of the new weapon.

He confirmed: “There is much we can not say. But I can say that the development of the complex A-60 is moving.”

Do the British Army have laser weapons?

A hi-tech laser weapon capable of shooting down enemy missiles mid-flight is going to be developed for the British military.

The "energy" cannon is set to be created under a £30 million deal being finalised by the Ministry of Defence.

The agreement would see missile manufacturer MBDA UK build a "capability demonstrator" for a "laser-directed energy weapon", with a one-off prototype delivered by 2019.

How do laser weapons work?

Basically, lasers are a light source which creates only one wavelength of light.

Unlike a light bulb, the movement of the waves are synchronised so they don't interfere with each other.

This light travels only in one direction and can be tightly focused - even over long distances.

Lasers and other directed-energy weapons have many advantages over conventional bullets and missiles because they can be precisely targeted.

A laser produces very intense energy that can travel over very long distances. That's why a laser can become a weapon.

Their energy output can also be controlled so the military could use higher power to cause devastation or lower power for non-lethal outcomes.

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