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Seong Hyeon Choi

China has installed what appears to be a laser directed-energy weapon on an amphibious ship, according to social media posts, as the People’s Liberation Army and rivals such as the US race to develop weapons that can thwart drones, satellite networks and other hi-tech systems.
Defence news site The War Zone reported that images circulating on social media site X, formerly Twitter, since Monday suggested that a laser had been installed on one of the Chinese navy’s Type 071 amphibious transport dock ships.
The laser weapon, which features a movable dome-like cover and is positioned behind the vessel’s 76mm dual-purpose gun, was spotted following a refit of the ship.
However, the laser weapon’s capabilities as well as the precise vessel and its location were not discernible from the photo, although the censored image suggested the ship might be a Type 071 with a hull number starting with “98”.
The world’s major militaries are working to develop laser-powered weapons to counter the increasing use of drones in modern warfare.
While the PLA has other laser weapons in operation, the Type 071 is reportedly the first of China’s amphibious naval ships to be outfitted with such a system, acting as a test system before the weapons are deployed on other vessels.
First commissioned in 2007, the Type 071 was the PLA’s largest operational amphibious ship before the arrival of the Type 075 in 2021.
The Type 071, with a displacement of around 25,000 tonnes, has a flight deck and a hangar and can handle four Z-8 transport helicopters and around 60 armoured fighting vehicles.

In recent years, the Chinese navy has been spotted testing tactical laser systems similar to those of the US Navy.
In 2019, Chinese media reported that the PLA planned to install its version of a ground-based, vehicle-mounted laser weapon on its naval ships – likely the 055 destroyer. The laser weapon is intended for both land and sea deployment and aimed at air defence or close-in, surface-to-surface force protection.
Last month, a Chinese study from the PLA’s Naval Submarine Academy suggested that Chinese submarines armed with a megawatt-class, solid-state laser weapon could take out SpaceX’s Starlink satellites if China’s security was at risk.
The US has been leading the development of laser weapons to give another line of defence against drones and small boat swarms as well as a dazzler for blinding optical sensors and seekers.
In late 2019, the USS Portland – a San Antonio-class amphibious dock ship similar to the Type 071 – was first spotted with a laser weapon system. The system successfully knocked down a small drone target in May 2020.
The USS Preble, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, is also armed with a high-energy laser with integrated optical dazzler and surveillance system (HELIOS) – a 60-kilowatt-class directed energy laser weapon and the first of its kind to be integrated with the Aegis combat system.
Washington’s latest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is also testing for an upgrade to include laser weapons. The supercarrier has the power to host these electricity-hungry weapons thanks to its two nuclear reactors, designed to provide three times the power of older carriers.
The upgrade was reportedly in response to the PLA’s hypersonic weapons, which Chinese scientists said in a study last year could destroy US aircraft carriers.


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China’s Type 071 amphibious transport dock ship has a flight deck and a hangar. Photo: Handout

The laser weapon features a movable dome-like cover and is positioned behind the vessel’s 76mm dual-purpose gun. Photo: Weibo/ @水雷屋

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China

Military

Photos indicate the directed-energy weapon has been installed on Type 071 amphibious vessel


Photos indicate the directed-energy weapon has been installed on Type 071 amphibious vessel.


China's military weapons

US-China relations