By Philip Butterworth-Hayes
In its September 3 V-Day parade, China’s military for the first time showed what the government’s news agency describes as “the three types of weapons (which) form the powerful trio in the PLA’s (People’s Liberation Army) anti-UAV system” – an anti-UAV missile-gun integrated system, high-energy laser weapons and high-power microwave weapons.
Also on display was the LY-1 laser system, developed to protect naval vessels from drones and anti-ship missiles. According to Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Xuefeng quoted in the Chinese government publication “Global Times”:
“As a type of laser weapon, the LY-1 can also effectively avoid the problem of time lag between the target lock-on of shipborne fire control radar and the actual firing of traditional air defence weapons. It also effectively avoids the problem of large dispersion ratio of traditional shipborne close-in guns”.
Unmanned Airspace originally reported the existence of China’s C-UAS laser programme in November 2024 (https://www.unmannedairspace.info/latest-news-and-information/china-develops-laser-interceptor-with-1km-range/). The latest model on display shows a much smaller unit with enhanced power rating, suggesting an accelerated development programme of research over the last nine months.
“The Global Times noted that the newly debuted anti-drone missile artillery systems have a high degree of integration, integrating multiple detection methods such as radar and electro-optical sensors, as well as multiple killing methods such as missiles and anti-aircraft guns. The systems can be mounted on military vehicles and can achieve rapid deployment and mobility.”
While the LY-1 laser system and integrated C-UAS detection/gun units have been identified before, the parade of high-power microwave C-UAS weapons will raise question marks in the USA and Europe about the C-UAS capabilities which China has obtained within a relatively short time- and the extent to which knowledge sharing with Russia has allowed the country to accelerate its C-UAS capabilities.
For more information
https://english.news.cn/20250903/9c1005a6500549b3a5454dfb49b70a5a/c.html
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202509/1342510.shtml
(Images: Xinhua News Agency)
