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Albee Zhang

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 Liaoyuan-1 (LY-1) was seen on the Qilianshan, making it the latest large surface vessel so far equipped with the anti-drone directed-energy weapon.
During the drill at the disputed shoal, known in China as Huangyan Island, a rectangular object was seen behind the Qilianshan’s 76mm dual-purpose gun, according to video footage released by state broadcaster CCTV.
Lu Li-shih, a retired Taiwanese navy lieutenant commander, said the object was likely to be the LY-1, which debuted at the Victory Day military parade in Beijing last September.
The LY-1 is tasked with close-range interception of incoming missiles and drones, serving as the last line of defence within the shipborne air-defence system.
“Once these ships are close to the adversary’s nearshore waters, they could be attacked by unmanned aerial or surface drones. So compared with destroyers and frigates, amphibious ships need the high-energy weapon more,” Lu said.

Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said amphibious ships tended to only be used on certain occasions, especially those where Beijing wanted to send a “more forceful message”.
He said the Qilianshan’s presence at the August 1 drill, marking the anniversary of the PLA’s founding, was meant to send a message to both the Philippines and the US, whose aircraft carrier USS George Washington has been in the South China Sea since late last month.
Tensions have flared between China and the Philippines over Scarborough Shoal since late last month, with vessels from both sides clashing three times in a single week.
Directed-energy weapons, which include high-power microwave systems as well as lasers, have been seen on several Chinese amphibious ships. These range from the Type 071 amphibious transport dock and Type 075 landing helicopter dock to the much larger and more advanced Type 076 amphibious assault ship, which is expected to be one of Beijing’s most important assets in a potential action against Taiwan.
Laser weapons are an effective countermeasure against rapidly advancing unmanned aerial warfare, offering advantages such as high endurance and low operating costs. Many nations, including the US, are investing in the development of similar directed-energy weapons.
According to Chinese media, the Qilianshan is the second Type 071 vessel to be seen with the LY-1 after the Simingshan was spotted with the laser weapon in October.
Recent social media posts also showed several new pieces of equipment on the bow and stern of the Hainan, a Type 075 vessel.
While the South China Morning Post could not independently verify the specific equipment involved, Lu said he believed these were high-energy weapons, including one designed to disrupt the signals of early-warning aircraft.
“High-energy weapons themselves consume a lot of electricity, whether it is a laser or high-power microwaves,” Lu said.
“We haven’t seen the Hainan for a while, so I assume it has completed the modification and installation of a medium-voltage direct current system. That is why it can carry so many high-energy weapons at one time.”


In a documentary series celebrating the PLA’s founding earlier this month, state broadcaster CCTV reported that the Sichuan, the lead ship of the Type 076 class, would also be equipped with high-energy weapons.
“The Sichuan aims at not only a simple platform upgrade, but at the new unmanned battlefield in the far seas,” CCTV quoted a naval officer as saying.
Dubbed the “drone carrier”, the Sichuan features a domestically developed electrical system that will power its electromagnetic catapults and high-energy weapons.
Yue Gang, a military analyst and retired PLA colonel, said the Sichuan was no longer limited to just amphibious landing and transport.
“It improves China’s complete blue-water amphibious warfare system for missile defence, counter-swarm operations and shore fire support,” Yue said.
During the Scarborough Shoal drill, the PLA also showcased its H-6J bomber – the naval variant of the H-6K bomber – carrying four missiles believed to be supersonic YJ-12 anti-ship missiles, People’s Daily reported on Saturday.
YJ-12 missiles exceed Mach 3.5 with a range of 400–500 km (250–310 miles), and a single strike could paralyse a large surface vessel, military expert Zhang Xuefeng told the Communist Party mouthpiece.
Additional reporting by Amber Wang


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Analysts say deploying the LY-1-equipped vessel during Scarborough Shoal drill was meant to send a message to Manila and Washington


Analysts say deploying the LY-1-equipped vessel during Scarborough Shoal drill was meant to send a message to Manila and Washington.


Powerful anti-drone laser spotted on PLA amphibious ship in South China Sea

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Analysts say deploying the LY-1-equipped vessel during Scarborough Shoal drill was meant to send a message to Manila and Washington

Analysts say deploying the LY-1-equipped vessel during Scarborough Shoal drill was meant to send a message to Manila and Washington