Laser or microwave weapon? US intelligence exposes China's orbital plans

US military intelligence has reported that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) now possesses a promising space-based directed-energy system.

Pentagon analysts estimate that this development could pose a serious and direct threat to satellite systems in Earth's orbit by the end of this decade. Details of the report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) were disclosed by the military-specialized portal The War Zone (TWZ).

How the new system works: Temporary blinding and total neutralization

US military experts have determined that Beijing's new space weapon is capable of exerting a wide range of effects against adversary assets:

• Scope of impact: This system is capable of disrupting satellite operations, degrading their optical and electronic capabilities, or completely disabling orbital assets;

• The preferred tool for the PLA: The intelligence report notes that the Chinese military views directed-energy weapons as the most optimal method for striking targets in space. This is because it offers the ability to deliver both temporary (blinding sensors) and irreversible (total destruction of the asset) damage;

• Combat without orbital debris: Unlike conventional missiles, this type of beam weapon does not leave behind fragments or dangerous orbital debris, which complicates the identification of the source of the strike.

Secret technology: What exactly is Beijing testing in orbit?

The unclassified portion of the report does not provide detailed information on the specific technological basis of this system:

• Potential technologies: Military experts speculate that it could involve space-based combat lasers, high-power microwave (HPM) devices, particle beam generators, or a hybrid combination of these technologies;

• The struggle for space: Such activity by China is accelerating a new arms race in space. For the Pentagon, which is heavily dependent on satellites for communications, GPS navigation, and early warning systems for missile attacks, this represents an extremely sensitive and serious threat.