Laser Showdown! U.S. Navy Deploys Directed Energy Weapons-Armed Warship In Japan Amid China Threats

By
Sakshi Tiwari
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The US Navy has responded to growing Chinese military activity in the Indo-Pacific region by sending a warship equipped with a state-of-the-art laser weapon for deployment in Japan.

US Navy destroyer, USS Preble, outfitted with the newest laser weapon, sailed from San Diego for Yokosuka, Japan, on September 22. Over the weekend, photos and videos of the destroyer leaving port for its forward deployment in Japan appeared on social media.

The US Navy announced the deployment on August 1 in an official statement: “The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) will move to Yokosuka, Japan, as part of a scheduled rotation of forces in the Pacific.”

At that time, the service stated that the USS Preble would replace USS Benfold (DDG 65), which was scheduled to depart Yokosuka and relocate to Everett, Washington.

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The US Navy underscored the significance of the deployment, emphasizing that Preble’s forward presence would strengthen the US’s national security, strengthen its capability to defend strategic interests, and uphold Washington’s commitment to defend Japan.

A military spokesman reportedly said that the USS Preble was the only one of the 73 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in the U.S. military equipped with a high-energy laser weapon that can be used to bring down drones and missiles. The USS Preble’s High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance System (HELIOS) is a 60-kilowatt-class directed energy laser weapon.

HELIOS is a multifunctional system with adequate power to destroy or seriously harm targets like smaller boats and drones. It also serves as a “dazzler” to confuse or blind optical seekers on approaching missiles and optical sensors on hostile ships and aircraft.

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The HELIOS system is outfitted with advanced optical sensors, which primarily serve as a precision tool for laser tracking, pointing, and cueing applications. However, these sensors can also be used for secondary surveillance. The integration of HELIOS on the USS Preble has significantly enhanced its combat capabilities.

Therefore, the warship’s forward deployment to Japan is a significant development, particularly given China’s efforts to outfit its warships with the latest laser weapon.

USS Preble equipped with HELIOS (via X)

Last month, a photograph of the Type-071 Amphibious Assault Ship of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) equipped with laser weapons emerged on social media, triggering speculation that the latest Chinese Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) were undergoing testing.

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It is now widely believed that laser weapons possess the capability to transform warfare and defense strategies. These systems can shoot targets like drones, missiles, and small aircraft at nearly the speed of light while also proving to be more cost-effective than traditional interceptors.

Additionally, since lasers have no ‘deployment time,’ they are excellent instruments for aerial interception, which makes them ideal for missile defense systems.

When the US announced the deployment of the ship last month, it emphasized without naming any country that “the security environment in the Indo-Pacific requires that the U.S. Navy positions the most capable ships forward. This posture allows the most rapid response times for maritime and joint forces and brings our most capable ships with the greatest amount of striking power and operational capability to bear in the timeliest manner”.

Incidentally, the deployment comes in the wake of China’s increased military presence near Japan. Last week, for instance, a Chinese carrier strike group took an unusual route on its way to the Western Pacific: it sailed through Japan’s contiguous waters for the first time instead of traversing the Miyako Strait, which is frequented by Chinese vessels. Additionally, a Chinese Y-9 electronic aircraft entered Japan’s territorial airspace last month.

In recent months, the US has consolidated its military posture in Japan, deploying fifth-generation fighters like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.

With the USS Preble, it appears to be strengthening its maritime fleet for challenges at sea. The US aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt, is also reportedly back in the Indo-Pacific and would likely be stationed at the 7th Fleet headquarters in Japan.

Notably, the deployment comes days after the US Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) unveiled the service’s Navigation Plan, which served as a guide for dealing with China’s growing threat.

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US Has A Navigation Plan To Combat China

The US Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. Lisa Franchetti, released the ‘Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy’ to the service on September 18.

The plan states that “The Navy shall be organized, trained, and equipped for the peacetime promotion of the national security interests and prosperity of the United States and prompt and sustained combat incident to operations at sea.”

The navigation plan lists two strategic goals: strengthening the Navy’s long-term advantage and preparing for the prospect of war with the People’s Republic of China by 2027.

The plan, also known as “Project 33,” focuses on readiness, capability, and capacity while addressing maintenance backlogs and recruiting difficulties. It highlights seven key areas, such as clearing up maintenance backlogs, increasing the size of robotic and autonomous systems, enhancing the recruitment and retention of sailors, and strengthening infrastructure.

Reacting to increased global threats—specifically, those posed by Russia’s increasingly aggressive acts and China’s developing military capabilities—the plan strongly emphasizes multi-domain operations and technology innovation.

The plan aims to guarantee that the US Navy, propelled by advances in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and distributed maritime operations, maintains its leadership via warfighter competency, joint force integration, and readiness. It highlights the importance of proceeding swiftly with these projects to overcome impending challenges and prepare for high-end, protracted combat.

The navigation plan is timely because tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait are rising, raising the possibility of a regional conflict. As China’s threat grows, the US, for one, is putting all of its effort into strengthening its capabilities.

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