Powerful anti-drone laser spotted on PLA amphibious ship in South China Sea
China’s most advanced laser weapon has been spotted aboard a Type 071 amphibious landing ship in the South China Sea, adding near-shore anti-drone capabilities to a family of warships vital for potential conflicts in sensitive waters, according to analysts. In a People’s Liberation Army joint air and naval drill at Scarborough Shoal on August 1, a shipborne laser weapon believed to be the…
China has deployed its most advanced laser weapon, the Liaoyuan-1 (LY-1), on a Type 071 amphibious landing ship in the South China Sea, according to analysts. This development adds near-shore anti-drone capabilities to the PLA's fleet of warships vital for potential conflicts in sensitive waters. The LY-1 was spotted aboard the Qilianshan during a PLA joint air and naval drill at Scarborough Shoal on August 1, marking the latest large surface vessel equipped with the anti-drone directed-energy weapon.
The deployment of the LY-1 on amphibious ships is particularly significant, as these vessels are often used for forceful messaging and are more likely to encounter unmanned aerial or surface drones in nearshore waters.
Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
