China’s military is developing powerful lasers, electromagnetic railguns and high-power microwave weapons for use in a future “light war” involving space-based attacks on satellites.
Beijing’s push to produce so-called directed-energy weapons aims to neutralize America’s key strategic advantage: the web of intelligence, communication and navigation satellites enabling military strikes of unparalleled precision expeditionary warfare far from US shores.
The idea of a space-based laser gun was disclosed in the journal Chinese Optics in December 2013 by three researchers, Gao Ming-hui, Zeng Yu-quang and Wang Zhi-hong. All work for the Changchun Institute for Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics – the leading center for laser weapons technology.
“In future wars, the development of ASAT [anti-satellite] weapons is very important,” they wrote. “Among those weapons, laser attack system enjoys significant advantages of fast response speed, robust counter-interference performance and a high target destruction rate, especially for a space-based ASAT system. So the space-based laser weapon system will be one of the major ASAT development projects.”
The researchers propose building a 5-ton chemical laser that will be stationed in low-earth orbit as a combat platform capable of destroying satellites in orbit. Given funding by the Chinese military, which is in charge of China’s space program, the satellite-killing laser could be deployed by 2023.
According to the article, an anti-satellite attack in space would employ a ground-based radar to identify a target satellite, a special camera to provide precision targeting and a deployable membrane telescope that would focus the laser beam on the target satellite.
The article also reveals that in 2005, the Chinese conducted a test of a ground-based laser weapon that was used to “blind” an orbiting satellite.
“In 2005, we have successfully conducted a satellite-blinding experiment using a 50-100 kilowatt capacity mounted laser gun in Xinjiang province,” the three researchers wrote. “The target was a low orbit satellite with a tilt distance of 600 kilometers. The diameter of the telescope firing the laser beam is 0.6 meters wide. The accuracy of [acquisition, tracking and pointing is less than 5 [microradians].”
Richard Fisher, a China military specialist at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, disclosed the existence of the laser weapons program in US congressional testimony last month.
He did, however, caution that the publication of such articles is a clear indication that Beijing wants the world to believe — or at least raise the possibility that it could — rapidly militarize space.
China’s space program is dual-use — supporting both civilian and military needs. For example, China’s Shenzhou and Tiangong manned spacecraft were used to perform military missions. China’s coming space station and plans for a future base on the moon also will have military applications. It is conceivable that China could launch an orbiting laser gun disguised as a scientific module.
“The Chinese government would not hesitate to use the lives of its astronauts as a shield to deceive the world about the real purpose of its space station,” Fisher says.
“Having gained the advantage of surprise, the combat space station could begin attacks against key US satellites, thus blinding the US to the launch of new combat satellites that would attack many more US satellites.”
Developing dedicated space combat system is in line with China’s long-term goal of achieving global strategic ascendency. Fisher believes the threat of Chinese space weapons is more than notional and that the US should respond by developing its own space warfare capabilities.
China has been working on developing laser weapons since the 1960s, and the People’s Liberation Army in 2015 published the book Light War that gives a central role to fighting a future war using lasers.
The book argues that future warfare will be dominated by combing Big Data analytics – a specialty of Chinese military cyber warriors with artificial intelligence and directed energy weapons. According to Light War, deploying robot laser weapons in space is needed since directed energy will dominate the battlefields in 30 years.
“Perhaps the PLA is already reconfiguring for such a new era inasmuch as a major mission for the PLA’s new Strategic Support Force may be to lead the weaponization of the information realm and outer space,” Fisher says.
The Chinese effort could neutralize decades of investment by the United States in its own directed-energy weapons, including lasers, electromagnetic railguns and high-power microwave arms. The Pentagon in the past developed an airborne laser for use in missile defenses and railguns are expected to be deployed in the early 2020s. High-powered compact laser guns are slated for the 2030s.
Military secrecy prevents knowing the full breadth of China’s hi-tech energy weapons programs. But the testimony and published writings make clear that the development of these arms is getting large-scale investment and high-level Chinese support.
Military secrecy prevents knowing the full breadth of China’s hi-tech energy weapons programs. But the testimony and published writings make clear that the development of these arms is getting large-scale investment and high-level Chinese support.
Michael J Listner, of Space Law & Policy Solutions, believes China is likely making substantial progress in directed-energy devices, based on efforts being made and the resources available. “And with their prolific network of espionage, it is likely that development is supported by foreign research they have acquired as well,” he said.
“Such devices have a myriad of applications to include adapting them to their ASAT program, ballistic missile defense, point-defense for their naval vessels and battlefield applications,” he added. “Once China develops the underlying technology, the potential military applications are limitless as are the non-military uses.”
China’s disclosures about the coming weaponization of space should greatly concern American and allied defense planners, given the potential for these technologies to alter global stability and peace.
In light of these threats, the United States should consider changing its long-held policy of not deploying arms in space.
“As long as China demonstrates its willingness to exploit much of its space program for potential military missions, the US must possess options for at least neutralizing potential threats, preferably short of threatening lives,” Fisher says.
If we don’t get off our collective butts, we are all going to be speaking Chinese in a very few years. We have trained the top Chinese scientists and engineers in our best universities. We have allowed them to steal or research while we allowed Obama to gut our Armed Forces and now we are surprised that the PLA is far ahead of us in weapon development.
All the rednecks and halfwits of yahoo – commentors have migrated to Asia times, polluting the Asian sites with their trashy ideologue, and as usual chest thumping and making moronic comments. If this is the quality standard of US citizens in general then China has nothing to fear.
But they would have to buy the rockets from Russia to do it.
Lasers melt the satellite, not blow it up. There will be little junk. Anyway USA should not have militarise space with its spy satellites
Free Hawaii, Guam, Japan, South Korea, Puerti Rico, Florida, Loiusana, Alaska, Texas, New Mexico, etc. Yeah, the world gets it.
Tibet, etc has been part of Chinese territory before USA was even colonised by white invaders who proceeded to genocide the Red Indians.
Remove all US foreign military bases and pivot back to USA!
China do not start wars. USA does but by hiding behind the skirts of other nations.
Make an intelligent comment. The Vietnamese, Afghan, etc kicked your sorry butts and that was a few decades ago. It is mad dogs like you that start wars.
Actually your best research were all done by foreign postgraduate students and you stole the fruits of their labour.
Richard Jones You’re too late. England, France, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands,… had carved up the world in the 18th – 20th centuries, and had stolen everything already. The natives are fighting back now…
John Pepin "I love it when someone defending China call sthe US imperial!!!! That is so funny!"
Yes, yes, very very funny,… but also so true!!!
The U.S. certainly was and still is an empire. The Philipines was part of its empire until Uncle Sam needed extra man-power to fight the Japanese, and asked the Filippinos for help, and the Philipines would get their independence.
China was an inward looking country, and built walls to protect their country from invaders. China had historical records to prove their ownership of the South China Sea. Europeans were the first to kill, rape, stole, and colonize other countries. China was a victim of such brutality. It’s only recently that China has the military strength to fight back, to reclaim what they had lost.
China is a nation consists of many many different tribes, different cultures,.., It certainly was never a single ethnic group (Han Chinese).
"…having hegemonic powers over a large ethnically diverse area, conquered and held in check by military power." This statement describe America most accurately.
Bob Smith
Sure the Chinese are going to trade their communist system that has raised 700,000,000 yes thats millions of chinese out of poverty over the last 30 years, for the US system that over the same period has driven 100,000,000, yes thats millions into poverty. One freedom you do have in the USA and that is the freedom to freeze and starve to death in the dark. Good on you. And oh yes I do recognize that you have the right to complain about how your government treats you, but that is only because no one listens to you, or gives a shite what you think..
Well since China is not contemplating any such thing I guess you can put away your big stick.
However, I must point out that China will first take over the world´s economy, peacefully, you know that is without invasions, regeime changes, occupations and bombing back to the stone age like our present Hyper Power does.
John Bocchicchio
New technologies like high speed rail? The world´s fastest computer. The world´s largest telescope? you mean those technologies?. Oh thats right the USA does not have those high tech things China does.
Ken Nguyen And how about the US free Iraq and Afghanistan? That would be a nice start.
Yeah like China sailing carrier battle groups through the Gulf of Mexico.
Look mate, Better to remain silent and only be thought to be stupid, than to open your mought and remove all doubt.
What a novel idea someone starting a war with the USA.
Ken Nguyen
The Generals in the Pentagon are not much smarter than this brain dead dummy, despite only fighting third world countries have not been able to win a war since the Second World War and the Russians fought and won that one. A trillion ayear buys a one eyed cyclops with a big club to stumble around the world from one quagmire to the next.
Ken Nguyen thats right and what better way for the US to drive itself into third world status than to ban students and scientists from entering the country.
I saw a TV documentary back in the 1980s of a team of scientists doing research on semi conductors. The only american on the team was the manager and he was not a scientist. The rest were all from Asia,
The American school system , nestled in is drug infested cities does not produce scientists and engineers , it only produces paper shufflers.
Yes indeed, if China does not match the aggressiveness of the USA, it could one day be taken over by the Americans and its citizens slaughtered in the same way the native Americans were massacred by the millions and their land stolen and forecfully taken over by the present illegal occupiers.
So many self righteous people here. Yawn.
Thomas Daniel Kuhn I love it. I hope I can borrow it some time.
Militarization of space is a fact now. Few years back, in response to one of Washington’s barking spells about China venturing into space with military applications,China along with Russia proposed a total ban of space militarization… The US declined, citing the proposal a threat to America ‘s freedom to act in space. So live with it.