The Energy Weapons

Islamabad, 27 June 2021, China continues to attract the attention of the world. The world think-tank considers this era as China's Era due to its advancement in all fields especially in advanced technology and AI (Artificial Intelligence).

The latest news indicates that China is making progress with its ground-based directed energy weapons that could be potentially used to take down hostile satellites specially designed to spy on it.

A directed-energy weapon(DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy, including laser, microwaves, and particle beams.

China, the US, Russia, Iran, and Turkey have developed these weapons and inducted them into their armed forces. Reportedly, India and UK are currently developing DEWs.

On November 17, 2020, the Indian media disclosed that the Chinese PLA used DEW against Indian soldiers during the skirmishes at the Ladakh border. The Indian troops were forced to withdraw from strategic positions because of these weapons. Later on, India was compelled to return to resolving differences with Beijing through dialogue and maintaining the status quo in disputed regions.

Confirming Washington possesses these weapons, the former US President Donald Trump proposed to replace expensive missiles system with cheap DEWs. He proposed on April 8, 2019, to zap incoming missiles with Laser beams used in DEWs.

Ominously, former acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller warned on  March 5, 2021, of a scheme to use DEWs against “ US government officials worldwide.” He even urged the new US administration to stay focused on the issue.

With the current escalation of the violence in Afghanistan, the Taliban may use DEWs against all and sundry to ensure re-establishing its erstwhile Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The situation would be bloody if somehow the Taliban could possess these weapons.