Japan has deployed a system that fires laser beams with 100 kilowatts of energy, powerful enough to disable small drones. It was installed on a 6,200 ton (6.3 million kg) warship.
The weapon combines 10 lasers (each with a power output of 10 kW) into a single 100 kW beam, providing enough concentrated power to burn through metal surfaces. This is a fiber laser, which produces a beam by amplifying and focusing light as it passes through a solid-state optical fiber doped with rare earth elements. Engineers specifically designed this system to shoot down drones, mortar shells, and other lightweight airborne threats.
On December 2, Japan’s Defense Logistics Agency (ATLA) confirmed in a statement that a laser system had been installed on the JS Asuka test ship, which arrived at one of Japan Marine United’s shipyards. It was seen packed into two 40-foot (12-meter) dome-shaped modules.
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ATLA’s next goal is to successfully complete sea trials in which the laser will face more severe conditions such as wind and humidity. You need to keep your aim steady on the pitching deck while dealing with atmospheric scattering and reflections.
But there are more hurdles to overcome before laser weapons like Japan’s can reach the battlefield. Directed energy systems (systems that damage a target with highly concentrated energy instead of a solid projectile) often require a lot of time to recharge between shots and require significant cooling and power. Even under ideal conditions, fiber lasers typically have an efficiency of only about 25% to 35%, and their energy requirements are particularly difficult to accommodate on ships.
ATLA officials said the series of tests will help assess whether even more powerful lasers can be used to intercept missiles in the future, although field deployment is still years away, according to Asia Live.
Japan now joins the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom on the list of countries known to be developing directed energy weapons. China is suspected to be among them after a photo of what appears to be a laser on an amphibious transport dock in China was posted on social media in 2024.
Despite this, the only publicly planned deployment of maritime laser systems is on ships equipped with Aegis, an advanced naval defense platform ordered by Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Naval News reports. These are scheduled to enter service after 2032.
Almost two years ago, the British government announced that its system, called Dragonfire, had passed its first field test by shooting down several drones over the Hebrides Islands off the coast of Scotland. Additionally, in late 2024, Chinese scientists claimed to have created a new type of microwave weapon that can focus powerful electromagnetic waves on a target.
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