Two new types of Chinese anti-drone laser weapons revealed in official media report; expert sees China's laser-based counter-drone technologies at global forefront - Lemmygrad

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/11141812 [https://lemmygrad.ml/post/11141812] > > A report by official Chinese media on Wednesday unveiled two new types of anti-drone laser weapons. A developer said such laser weapon systems, supported by intelligent targeting and multi-sensor integration, demonstrate strong responsiveness and adaptability, while enabling coordinated operations within an integrated combat network. > > > > Footage released in the CCTV News report showed how the systems countered low-altitude, slow-flying small drones simulating covert penetration on the battlefield, flying at an altitude of 50 to 80 meters, which is within the blind spot of conventional radar systems. > > > > More advanced threats such as fiber-optic drones, capable of transmitting real-time data and video through physical links and thus resistant to electronic interference, pose additional challenges and often require physical destruction, according to the CCTV News report. > > > > In response to such threats, multiple counter-drone systems were featured. A container-like platform identified as the “Guangjian-11E,” or Light Arrow-11E, multi-mode terminal jamming system can rapidly lock onto targets and disrupt their onboard sensing and targeting functions, the report said. > > > > The “Guangjian-21A”, or Light Arrow-21A, system, meanwhile, operates in a “shoot-on-the-move” mode, allowing it to maintain sustained firepower while reducing exposure to counterattacks, reported CCTV News. > > > > In terms of engagement methods, the “Guangjian-21A” specializes in “hard-kill” capabilities, generating high-density energy beams over several kilometers to penetrate drone structures and destroy internal circuits or propulsion systems within seconds. By contrast, the “Guangjian-11E” employs a soft-kill approach, using pulsed laser energy to precisely disable key components, effectively blinding drones and disrupting their reconnaissance and data transmission functions, reported CCTV News. > > > > These complementary “soft” and “hard” kill methods address targets at different ranges and threat levels, filling gaps in each other’s operational coverage, CCTV News said. > > > > Both systems are equipped with phased-array radar and infrared detection systems, and can interconnect via both wired and wireless links to enable real-time data sharing and precise target identification and engagement, according to the CCTV News report. > > > > The laser systems, as next-generation equipment, feature multi-source detection and intelligent identification, enabling rapid response and adaptive targeting. Integrated into a broader combat system, the platforms can coordinate “soft” and “hard” kill methods and link with radar and electro-optical sensors to form a rapid “detect-to-destroy” chain, Zhou Shuiliang from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China was quoted by the CCTV as saying. > > > > Previously, multiple types of anti-drone equipment were reviewed in formations at China’s V-Day military parade on September 3, 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, addressing the importance of anti-drone warfare on the modern battlefield. > > > > Anti-drone missile and artillery systems, high-energy laser weapons, and high-power microwave weapons reviewed at the parade are a powerful “iron triangle” that can both “soft kill” and “hard destroy” unmanned aerial vehicles. > > > > Given the widespread deployment of drones on the battlefield, countries are now prioritizing the development of efficient counter-drone systems and platforms, Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times. > > > > The inclusion of high-energy laser and high-power microwave counter-drone systems in the parade indicates that both have demonstrated strong performance in realistic training, and suggests that China’s laser- and microwave-based counter-drone technologies are at the forefront globally. > > > > Zhang Xuefeng, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that high-energy laser weapons can quickly and accurately detect, aim, and track targets. Using high-energy lasers, it only takes a few seconds to shoot a drone down. > > > > “This genre of anti-drone systems has high accuracy, minimal collateral damage, the advantage of unlimited ammunition, and very low operating costs, making it the lowest cost anti-drone equipment in a single deployment,” Zhang said.