Calls are rising for China close the gap with the United States in laser weapon development, a capacity viewed as the future of missile defense and counter-satellite warfare.
This month, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that China needs to emphasize the development of feasible laser weapons, an area where it is perceived to lag behind the USA.
Compared to kinetic energy weapons, directed-energy weapons such as lasers have the advantage of instantaneous hits, pinpoint accuracy, scalable power requirements and negligible cost per shot.
Their drawbacks, on the other hand, include size and bulk, substantial power requirements, weakening power over distance, and sensitivity to weather conditions. Not mentioning the possible tracking of the incoming Russian Mach-18 hyper sonic missiles.
Beijing-based researcher Zhou Chenming was quoted by SCMP saying China is good at making smaller laser weapons, but lacks larger models that can intercept bigger targets like missiles or be installed on warships or airplanes.
Song Zhongping, a former People’s Liberation Army (PLA) instructor, mentioned that China must invest more in directed energy weapons, as they are an essential part of modern technology that must be applied on the battlefield.
China and the USA see each other as engaged in a critical contest for military deterrence and supremacy, accelerating both sides’ development of their respective military technologies.
Asia Times noted last January that the rapid development of hypersonic weapons may be driving the rising investment and accelerating the development of laser weapons among leading military powers.
Supersonic weapons fly at Mach 5 or faster to evade current and planned missile defenses.
China’s successful mid-course missile intercept test aims to strengthen its defenses against US intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) in the Pacific, the capacity may not be sufficient against hyper-sonic weapons.
Current missile defense systems such as the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot PAC-3, and China’s HQ-19 may be ineffective against hyper-sonic threats as the high cost per interceptor missile makes them potentially unfeasible as long-term options.
Although America’s hyper-sonic weapons program has suffered many test failures and development setbacks, the US is still pressing on with a test often, fail often, learn quickly approach while leveraging technological assistance from its closest allies.
The US had announced plans to spend US$1.3 billion to develop advanced satellites to track hyper-sonic weapons and change the fundamental architecture of its space-based missile defenses.
Present such US defenses rely on a few large, expensive satellites that stay in orbit for 15 years. That system is also vulnerable to Russian attacks, as it lacks defensive capabilities and is locked in predictable orbits.
The USA plans to replace that architecture with a two-tiered system operating in low-earth (LEO) and medium-earth (MEO) orbits at 10,000 to 20,000 kilometers using cheaper satellites that can be replaced every five years.
Asia Times / ABC Flash Point Asia Blog Site News 2023.
Not Russia’s domain, they are specialists in electronic warfare, controlling all devices that are connected to electrical circuits?