Japan to Equip Two Warships With Laser Weapons

The Japanese Defense Ministry has allocated money in the defense budget for two new 27DD project destroyers. The warships will be equipped with a modified AEGIS complex weapon system.The ships are planned to be equipped with not only an electromagnetic artillery installation (‘Railgun’), but also with a laser weapon complex designed to protect the ship.

The laser weapons are currently being developed by the Technical Research and Design Institute of the Japanese Defense Ministry.Such complexes are being created for both sea and land use. They are designed to engage cruise, anti-ship missiles and other high-precision weapons.The modified AEGIS weapons systems have improved data exchange and external target designation. In addition, they have new radar to detect surface targets and hydro acoustic collection system with towed antennas.

The United States conducted tests of laser weapons earlier in the Persian Gulf. According to Pentagon the tests were successful.Russian specialists are developing military lasers particularly for aviation. Moreover, the development of such weapons in Russian is being carried out without any of the components or sub-assemblies built by foreign machinery.