To protect the Iranian ruling elite, lasers are used to eliminate drones. Such a system was spotted in Tehran during a public sermon with the participation of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A photo of this system was posted online on a Telegam channel dedicated to Iranian weapons.
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At the same time, analysts quickly recognized it as a Chinese laser system designed to combat UAVs, according to TWZ. We are talking about the Shennong Shield systems, which are produced in mobile and stationary variants.
It is declared that their capacity is sufficient for non-kinetic destruction of threats. This is the Chinese equivalent of systems such as the British Dragonfire, which is reportedly intended to be sent to Ukraine for testing in real combat conditions.
As Defense Express, we note that this is only the Chinese equivalent, which has less power. In particular, Dragonfire's power is declared at 55 kilowatt, while the Chinese system has 10-20 kilowatt for the mobile version.
Even if we don't raise the topic of ensuring the precision and accuracy required to focus a narrow beam on a moving target, this difference alone directly indicates the real capabilities of the Chinese Shennong Shield.
While the American publication suggests that the antenna on the Chinese laser may be a microwave directed-energy weapon that allows to "burn" enemy UAVs, we can note that China says that the Shennong Shield is equipped with radar. It is designed to detect targets at a range of up to 5 km.
Chinese sources also outlined the characteristics of the system: the ability to destroy "some UAVs" at a distance of up to 1.5 km and to "blind" the drone's optical systems at a range of up to 3 km. The maximum continuous operation time of the laser is 200 seconds. It also needs "less than" five minutes to charge up between shots.
Earlier Defense Express reported that China's ZFB-05 armored vehicles had been spotted in use by russian forces.
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