A photograph of the Type-071 Amphibious Assault Ship of People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) equipped with laser weapons has emerged, giving rise to speculation that the latest Chinese Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) are now undergoing testing.
A recent post on social media platform X featured a photo of a Type 071 amphibious transport dock ship equipped with a laser weapon. The system seems to be positioned directly behind the 76mm dual-purpose gun on the bow of the ship, which has reportedly just emerged from a refit.
Given that the Chinese military initiatives and advancements frequently operate under a veil of confidentiality, the PLAN has not disclosed any intentions to outfit the landing dock with laser weaponry. Social media claims have suggested that the vessel in the pixelated and poor-quality photograph is the Siming Shan, which has the hull number 986.
These claims could not be independently corroborated due to a lack of credible official information. However, as soon as the photographs were published, military analysts observed that the weapon may have been installed as part of experimental testing, with laser weapons gaining prominence in modern combat.
Naval defense expert Alex Luck commented on social media site X (previously Twitter): “Interesting development. More questions than answers at this stage. Especially notable that a Type 071 LPD (a class of Chinese amphibious transport dock ships) was chosen, unlike, say, the old Type 072 series LST for the presumed experimental railgun testbed.”
071型ドック型揚陸艦"四明山"に高出力レーザー兵器システムが改装で追加された。可動式のカバー付きで搭載位置は艦首76mm砲の後方。
PLA陸軍では既にレーザー兵器の運用が行われているが、艦載装備のテストプラットフォームとしては071型が選定。 pic.twitter.com/hSoxVYVsZ6— お砂糖wsnbn (@sugar_wsnbn) August 19, 2024
With a displacement of over 20,000-25,000 tons, the Type 071 is a massive, all-terrain landing ship that can support significant troop strength along with amphibious armored vehicles and air-cushioned landing craft equipped with tanks and helicopters. This allows the PLA to conduct both vertical and horizontal landing operations.
The Type 071 has hangar space for four Z-8 heavy transport helicopters and a tiny flying deck at the stern. It can accommodate 800 soldiers, 60 armored war vehicles, and four air cushion landing boats.
The Type 071 has likely been chosen as a test platform for the laser weapon, which may eventually find its way onto other warships. After the experimental testing ends, the weapon may be mounted on the Type 075 and Type 055 vessels, both of which are expected to play a crucial role in any future Taiwan operation.
A PLA watcher who did not want to be named told the EurAsian Times, “I think it’s probably a DEW in the late stages of testing out on the ship, and probably relatively bespoke, indicating it’s probably somewhat mature. Everyone is working on DEWs/ lasers. The product on the 071 is not unexpected. In fact, we’ve been expecting something like this for a few years now, and they have a variety of land-based DEWs that have already been developed and sold.”
EurAsian Times asked another renowned PLA expert who refused to comment on the development unless a clearer image with a number on the hull visible was published. Nevertheless, the development arises at a time when technologically advanced militaries around the world are increasingly developing high-energy laser weapons for air defense.
The PLAN, for its part, uses military-grade lasers that have apparently been used to “illuminate” aircraft belonging to Australia and the United States on more than one occasion. Additionally, it reportedly has functional ground-based laser weapons.
However, the development of a full-scale, high-intensity laser weapon capable of destroying targets by the PLA Navy warships has not been revealed yet.
US & China Developing Laser Weapons For Sea
Even though the appearance of a laser weapon on a Type 071 amphibious assault ship remains officially unconfirmed, some reports and military watchers observed that it may be a PLA attempt at building and testing laser weapons based on the events unfolding in the Red Sea where the US destroyers have been deployed to shoot down missiles and one-way drones fired from Yemen-based Houthi militia.
The US employed cutting-edge missiles like the SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6 for downing cheap, expendable drones and missiles fired by the Iran-backed militia. Nevertheless, this duel began a massive expense, with reports in April indicating that the US Navy had run up a bill of almost $1 billion.
Latest reports suggested that the deployment and evaluation of a DEW on a Chinese ship could reflect similar efforts undertaken by the US and some of its other allies. However, EurAsian Times understands that China has already been testing ground-based laser weapons and likely plans to eventually install them aboard warships, as evident by several reports and claims made by Chinese analysts over the past few years.
With the ability to shoot targets like drones, missiles, and small aircraft at almost the speed of light at a lower cost than interceptor missiles, powerful laser weapons have the potential to be a game changer for warfare and defense. A previous US report noted that China had multiple ground-based laser systems.
Chinese researchers have issued intriguing statements that imply their country has made significant progress in high-energy laser weapons, potentially leapfrogging other nations in this area. Last month, for instance, PLA-allied scientists claimed that PLA submarines equipped with laser weapons would be able to destroy SpaceX’s Starlink satellites if China’s security was in jeopardy.
While the Chinese PLAN efforts to develop a laser weapon, if at all, would be nascent, the US is already testing high-energy lasers with an eye on building a potent and cost-effective solution to aerial threats. One of these programs includes the Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) Mk 2 Mod 0, which is currently under testing.
Additionally, the US Navy has already equipped the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS Preble, with the High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance system (HELIOS). Other programs, such as the AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System, are in different stages of development and testing.
In addition to the US, the United Kingdom is now working to equip its futuristic Type 083 warship with a DragonFire laser weapon. The DragonFire is a line-of-sight weapon that can engage with any visible target. The testing of the armament has produced successful results.
The deployment of laser weapons on China’s landing dock ships and frigates holds strategic importance, as any potential conflict between Beijing and Washington will likely occur in a maritime setting. Moreover, military analysts have long predicted that China’s invasion of Taiwan would begin with an amphibious assault .
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