China's 6th-Gen J-36 Fighter-Bomber to Feature Combat Laser

China is fitting its 6th-generation J-36 fighter-bomber with a high-power airborne laser that would turn the aircraft into a dedicated air-defense platform. Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is developing the system and a promotional poster circulating on Chinese social media reveals key claims: a compact laser package weighing about 360 kg and a printed power number shown as “ 00 kW,” implying at least 100 kW output. At that power level the J-36 could intercept drones and cruise missiles without using conventional ammunition, enabling long-duration loitering in contested airspace as a hard-kill counter for swarms and stand-off threats.

The reported specifications place the Chinese effort much closer to ship- and ground-based experimental lasers than to earlier small airborne demonstrators; by comparison the U.S. Locust X3 is 30 kW while the HELIOS shipborne system currently operates at 60 kW with plans toward 150 kW. The claims leave open important details: whether the stated power is from a single emitter or combined modules, how the aircraft will supply the substantial electrical power and cooling, and whether initial production units will reach the advertised output. The J-36’s large size - estimated 50-55 ton takeoff weight and ~20 m wingspan - makes installation physically feasible, but integration and power-generation remain critical hurdles.