Japan Trials 100-Kilowatt Laser Weapon to Combat Drones

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Japan has begun testing a high-power 100-kilowatt laser weapon designed to disable drones and light aerial threats. The laser weapon is mounted on the 6,200-ton test ship JS Asuka and will undergo sea trials in real maritime conditions starting in 2026.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries has been developing the laser weapon since 2018. The prototype system was confirmed to have been delivered to the Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) of Japan in February 2023.

The system combines 10 10-kilowatt laser units into a single 100-kilowatt laser beam. With its concentrated power, the laser is capable of burning through metal surfaces and disabling drones, mortar rounds, and other light aerial threats. The technology used is a fiber laser, where the laser beam is generated from amplified light and focused through rare-earth-doped solid-state optical fibers.

On December 2, ATLA announced that the laser system had been installed on the test ship JS Asuka after the ship arrived at one of the Japan Marine United shipyards. The system is packed in two 40-foot domed modules.

"Provided sufficient power, the system can continue to engage targets without running out of ammunition," ATLA told local officials, as quoted by Live Science on December 19, 2025.

"unlimited magazine depth," so the only limitation on its use is the amount of electricity available," the agency said. Additionally, the cost per shot of this laser system is considered much lower compared to conventional air defense systems.

ATLA confirmed that the laser weapon had successfully disabled mortar rounds and unmanned aerial vehicles in ground-based test trials earlier this year.

The sea trials will be the next stage to test the system's performance in more challenging conditions, such as wind, humidity, and the ship's deck movement. The system must also be able to maintain targeting accuracy while facing atmospheric scattering and reflection.

However, ATLA mentioned that the operational deployment of this laser weapon still requires several years. The results of the sea trials will be used to evaluate the potential development of more powerful lasers and their possible use in future missile interception.

With this development, Japan joins the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom as countries known to be developing directed-energy weapons. Similar technology is also suspected to be in development in China, as evidenced by a photo of a laser system on one of its amphibious transport ships that circulated in 2024.

According to Naval News, the only openly scheduled deployment of a sea-based laser system is on a ship equipped with the Aegis defense system for the Japanese Ministry of Defense, which is expected to start operating after 2032.

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