China criticises Japan’s laser weapon plans as threat to regional stability
Beijing’s military accuses Tokyo of breaching pacifist limits as Japan invests in land- and sea-based laser systems
The Chinese military has warned against Japan’s laser weapon plans, accusing Tokyo of undermining regional security.
Japan has made progress in road-mobile laser weapons and will begin a ship-mounted laser weapon programme that can intercept incoming small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a commentary in the PLA Daily on Tuesday noted.
“These trends should be watched with high caution,” it said.
Laser weapons are an effective measure against the fast-developing drone warfare, with the advantages of long endurance in combat and cheap operational costs. Many countries are investing in this directed-energy weapon.
In the case of Japan, its Self-Defence Force has demonstrated a truck-mounted laser weapon with 10kW output power, and the Japanese Ministry of Defence has designated a further 3.4 billion yen (US$23 million) in its 2025 budget to increase this system’s capabilities against air threats.
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More importantly, the ministry this year has allocated 18.3 billion yen (US$120 million) in its budget for the five-year period until financial year 2029 for this high-power, shipborne laser system capable of countering swarming small drones in maritime environments, the article noted.