Japan trials 100-kilowatt laser weapon — it can cut through metal and drones mid-flight
Japan has deployed a system that fires laser beams with an energy of 100 kilowatts, powerful enough to disable small drones. It was installed aboard a 6,200 ton (6.3 million kg) warship.
The weapon combines 10 lasers (each with a power of 10 kW) into a single 100 kW beam, giving it enough focused power to burn metal surfaces. It is a fiber laser, meaning the beam is generated by amplified and focused light as it passes through a solid-state optical fiber doped with rare earth elements. Engineers designed this system specifically to shoot down drones, mortar shells and other light aerial threats.
On December 2, the Japanese Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) confirmed in a statement that the laser system was installed on the JS Asuka test ship after its arrival at one of Japan Marine United’s shipyards. It was seen packed into two 40-foot (12-meter) dome-shaped modules.
A step forward for laser weapons
ATLA’s next goal is to carry out sea trials, during which the laser will face more challenging conditions such as wind and humidity. It will have to maintain its aim stable on a launcher deck while managing diffusion and atmospheric reflections.
But laser weapons like Japan’s must overcome other obstacles before they can reach the battlefield. Directed energy systems – those that damage targets with highly concentrated energy instead of a solid projectile – often need a long time to recharge between shots and require significant cooling and electrical energy. Even under ideal conditions, fiber lasers typically only achieve approximately 25% to 35% efficiencyand their energy needs are particularly difficult to meet on a ship.
According to The Asia Live, ATLA officials said operational deployment would still be years away, but that this series of tests would help them evaluate whether an even more powerful laser could be used to intercept missiles in the future.
Japan now joins the WE, France, Germanyand the United Kingdom on the list of countries confirmed it was developing a directed energy weapon. China is also suspected of being part of it, after a photo of what appears to be a laser on Chinese amphibious transport dock in 2024.
Nevertheless, the only publicly scheduled deployment of a laser system at sea is on ships equipped with “Aegis” – an advanced naval defense platform ordered by the Japanese Defense Ministry, according to Naval News. These are expected 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 shoot down several drones over the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland. Furthermore, at the end of 2024, Chinese scientists claim to have created a new type of microwave weapon which could focus high-power electromagnetic waves on a target.
