A very large directed energy laser weapon was among the new capabilities officially rolled out for the first time at a massive military parade in China. Called the LY-1, the laser has so far been described as primarily intended for shipboard self-defense, but was shown at today’s event in a form that also points to land-based applications.
Today’s parade in Beijing was months in the making, and new drones, missiles, and other systems had already emerged during the preparations. The event marked the 80th anniversary of what was then the Republic of China’s victory over Japan during World War II.
Despite its official unveiling today, much about the turreted LY-1 laser, including its power rating, remains unknown. It has a single very large circular aperture for its beam director. There are also multiple smaller circular apertures, some of which would be tied to electro-optical and/or infrared cameras used for target acquisition and tracking. A box-like structure on the right side of the turret (left when viewed from the front) might hold an additional sensor, such as a radar or passive radio-frequency sensor, or other components of the system.
“The LY-1 has sufficient space for power units, meaning that it could have higher power, enabling it to be capable of intercepting not only attacks from unmanned equipment, but also anti-ship missiles, with very low-cost for each interception,” according to a report today from China’s Global Times newspaper, an outlet run by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, citing an independent expert. “Shipborne laser weapons can effectively damage the optical sensors of enemy weapons and equipment.”
“Parade narrators for CGTN, China’s English-language state media outlet, said the LY-1 is capable of ‘precision destruction and consistent strike,’” Business Insider has also reported.
Laser directed energy weapons known to be in development globally typically fall into two categories: so-called dazzlers designed to blind optics, including optical seekers on incoming missiles, and higher-powered designs capable of physically damaging or destroying a target. A high-power type could also be designed to incorporate a low-power capability. The LY-1’s size and configuration, together with the descriptions above, put it firmly in the higher-powered category, and with a primary focus on protecting ships from incoming aerial threats like drones and missiles.
How close the LY-1 might be to entering operational service, and in what form, is also unknown. What looked to be a laser directed energy weapon with a configuration very similar to the LY-1 had been spotted on a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 071 amphibious warfare ship last year, as you can read more about here. Back in 2019, China’s state-run CCTV-7 television network had also broadcast imagery of a laser directed energy weapon with a similar, but more simplified design that was said to be under development for the PLAN.
Shipboard self-defense is a major focus of laser directed energy developments worldwide, including in the United States. In broad strokes, the LY-1 is similar in configuration and size to laser weapons the U.S. Navy has been working to field in growing numbers in recent years, especially the High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler (HELIOS). The system seen on the PLAN Type 071 last year also featured a retractable protective dome to help shield it from the elements when not in use. A laser weapon system that the U.S. Navy tested on the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Dewey in 2012 had a similar enclosure. Another laser was also notably tested on the USS Portland, a San Antonio class amphibious warfare ship, which is roughly analogous to the Type 071.
Broadly speaking, laser weapons hold the promise of largely unconstrained magazine depth, as long as there is sufficient power and cooling. While a single laser can only be focused on one point at a time, a turreted beam can also be readily redirected from one target to the next after the laser has effected its target in a satisfactory manner.
It is worth noting that lasers, in general, are sensitive to environmental factors, including smoke, clouds, rain, or other particles in the air, all which can break up a beam and reduce its effectiveness. The power of that beam already drops as it propagates through the atmosphere and gets further away from the source. When developing a practical and reliable laser weapon system that can stand up to real combat use, especially being battered at sea for months at a time and exposed to salt water spray, the delicate nature of their adaptive optics presents further challenges.
The capabilities laser weapon systems are designed to offer are in high demand for ships, especially amid ever-growing drone and missile threats. Even advanced warships with deeply-layered defensive capabilities are among the most protected but threatened objects on earth. Adding a laser layer for close-in defense is seen as highly adventurous. Shipboard applications also offer their own challenges when it comes to meeting the significant power and cooling, as well as physical space demands.
The benefits that high-power laser directed energy weapons offer, at least in principle, are also relevant in the land and air domains, and the LY-1 could also be intended for use in a ground-based configuration. At today’s parade, the laser weapons appeared in what looked to be a very purpose-built eight-wheeled road-mobile format. As a comparison, HQ-10 naval surface-to-air missile launchers, or mockups thereof, were also paraded, but in a configuration more clearly intended for display, rather than operational use.
There is precedent for adapting naval weapon systems, especially those intended for close-in defense, for use ashore. The U.S. Army’s Centurion, a ground-based version of the 20mm Vulcan cannon-armed Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) found on various U.S. Navy and foreign warships, is a prime example. China has also previously developed versions of its own naval gun-armed CIWS systems for applications on land.
A land-based version of the LY-1 could provide an additional layer of defense against drones, cruise missiles, and even helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, depending on its real-world effective range and power rating. If the system is self-contained, it might have some capability to engage targets on the move, as well.
As noted, there are still questions about how close the LY-1 might be to entering operational service in any domain. In the United States, laser directed energy weapon development has faced repeated setbacks, especially due to power and cooling challenges, as well as making systems rugged enough for actual combat use, as you can read more about here. While the U.S. Navy has made more visible progress on this front than other branches of America’s armed forces, the service’s senior leaders have still expressed frustration with the pace of actually fielding these capabilities.
At the same time, China has clearly been making significant investments in operationalizing various tiers of laser and high-powered microwave directed energy weapons. This includes higher-end ground-based lasers designed to at least disrupt the operation of orbiting satellites. There are also smaller land-based laser weapons primarily intended for the counter-drone role, some of which were also showcased at today’s parade. Chinese firms have already succeeded in securing at least limited export sales of systems in that general category, including to Saudi Arabia and Iran, and reportedly Russia.
A massive high-powered microwave weapon called the Hurricane 3000, which is mounted on a modified Shacman SX2400/2500-series 8×8 truck, was also on display at the event today in Beijing. That particular system had previously been showcased publicly at last year’s Zhuhai Airshow, as you can read more about here.
While more remains to be learned about the LY-1 and China’s plans for it, it is the latest reflection of the country’s push to develop and field laser and other directed energy weapons for use in multiple domains.
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