China’s military parade before the world’s cameras on Wednesday showed off a growing arsenal capable, perhaps, of overturning the West’s long-held grip on international order.
But behind the columns of tanks and rows of soldiers marching in perfect unison, a small white box sat atop a transporter, posed the greatest challenge to the status quo.
Xi Jinping, flanked by Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, took the opportunity to show off the LY-1 shipborne laser weapon, an addition to its navy to thrust China into the next generation of warfare.
China is not the first to develop such a weapon, but it is quickly surpassing the capabilities of its potential adversaries.
The United States and Britain have made strides towards developing their own energy weapons in recent years, rising to the challenge of a growing superpower in the east.
Here, we look at how the three nations have invested heavily in laser weapons, the systems they have unveiled so far and what each one says about the future of modern warfare.
China’s LY-1 may not be the most extravagant-looking weapon on show. But behind its white casing lies the potential to cause severe damage.
While specific capabilities remain unknown, experts fear it can burn through electronics, blind sensors and leave pilots impaired mid-flight.
It has been speculated that when the ship’s radar detects an incoming threat, the LY-1 will track the path of the incoming threat to destroy it.
China is not alone in thrusting itself into a new era of laser warfare.
Britain is also building its own high-energy laser, known as DragonFire. It is part of a £5billion investment that will see UK troops and warships ‘protected by drone and laser weapon technology‘.
The Ministry of Defence has tested it at ranges in Scotland and Wiltshire, with trials showing it can lock on and destroy drones.
DragonFire is being developed by a team including MBDA, QinetiQ and Leonardo. Officials say the system is in the 50-kilowatt class.
Each shot costs just a few pounds, far cheaper than firing a missile worth hundreds of thousands.
The UK plans to mount DragonFire on Royal Navy ships from 2027. A land version is also being trialled on army vehicles.
Last year in October, it was announced that lasers capable of taking down heat-seeking missiles had been tested on British aircraft for the first time.
The Ministry of Defence touted its success, saying the air protection lasers had destroyed 100 per cent of its targets during a test in Sweden.
It is able to detect incoming missiles to track and destroy them by shooting a jamming laser with ultimate precision.
At the time, a statement from the MoD said: ‘Threats are defeated faster than the time it takes to read this sentence.’ The statement added: ‘DragonFire exploits UK technology to be able to deliver a high-power laser over long ranges.
‘The precision required is equivalent to hitting a £1 coin from a kilometre away.
‘Laser-directed energy weapons can engage targets at the speed of light and use an intense beam of light to cut through the target, leading to structural failure or more impactful results if the warhead is targeted.
‘Firing it for 10 seconds is the cost equivalent of using a regular heater for just an hour.
‘Therefore, it has the potential to be a long-term low-cost alternative to certain tasks missiles currently carry out. The cost of operating the laser is typically less than £10 per shot.’
America, meanwhile, has poured billions into laser research and now has the widest set of systems in use, ahead of both Britain and China.
It’s been reported that the nation invests $1billion annually to improve its energy weapons, according to CBS News.
One of its most advanced systems is the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS).
On the seas, the US Navy has installed HELIOS on the destroyer USS Preble.
Built by Lockheed Martin, it is a 60-kilowatt-class weapon that can burn drones out of the sky and also blind enemy sensors.
Delivering concentrated energy at the speed of light, it is tied into the ship’s radar and fire control so it can react automatically to threats.
HELIOS is a multi-mission system, meaning it can provide long-range surveillance.
According to reports, its design makes it possible for future upgrades to up to 120 kilowatts or even more.
Like Britain’s system, it is cheap to operate compared to missiles and has limitless firepower.
