Chinese scientists are exploring the development of laser-equipped submarines designed to stealthily destroy satellites from underwater, potentially transforming Anti Satellite (ASAT) warfare.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), researchers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), led by Professor Wang Dan of the Naval Submarine Academy, propose outfitting Chinese submarines with megawatt-class, solid-state laser weapons. These advanced lasers could target satellites, including Space X’s extensive Star link network, all while the submarines remain submerged.
The report highlights that this method tackles the challenge of hiding ASAT operations, which typically depend on ground-to-air missiles that can easily reveal the launch site’s location. It suggests that the proposed laser-equipped submarines could utilize a retractable optoelectronic mast to target satellites and then submerge again, enhancing surprise and operational security. (SCMP) report indicate that the study points out the inefficiency of using missiles against small, numerous, and densely packed satellites like those in the Star link program, and recommends mass-producing laser-equipped submarines to counter military threats.
The paper by PLA scientists outlines a comprehensive strategy for targeting satellites similar to Star link, highlighting the necessity of satellite position guidance from other forces due to the detection limitations of submarines. Beyond ASAT operations, the report suggests that laser-equipped submarines could undertake various missions, such as attacking anti-submarine aircraft, escorting merchant ships, and striking land-based targets. Nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) are considered ideal platforms for these laser weapons, as their nuclear reactors can provide the substantial power required for such energy-intensive systems, while also benefiting from the inherent stealth of submarines.
In a June 2024 US Naval Institute article, Liam Nawara argues that SSNs can maintain maneuverability despite persistent space-based ISR, making them effective ASAT platforms. As LEO launch costs drop, satellite constellations will enhance ISR, affecting maritime conflicts. Nawara cites SSNs like the US Navy’s Virginia class as examples of platforms capable of targeting enemy surveillance satellites with directed-energy weapons, including lasers and high-powered microwave systems.
forces’ challenges with space-based ISR. He foresees submarines with ASAT-directed-energy weapons playing a key role in achieving ISR superiority and aiding joint force operations in future conflicts. In a February 2020 Forbes article, H I Sutton explains that laser-armed ASAT submarines need only briefly surface to eliminate threats, as lasers, traveling at light speed, are hard to defend against. Sutton notes that, beyond targeting satellites, submarine-mounted lasers could effectively counter swarming Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) at minimal cost per shot, unlike guns and missiles. He adds that lasers could also target fast attack craft and other manned threats not worth a torpedo.
He notes that submarine-mounted lasers could target coastal sites like submarine piers or communication masts, but only if the target’s value justifies the risk of approaching hostile shores. Additionally, these lasers may have significant drawbacks, similar to those seen in developing Submarine-Launched surface-to-Air Missiles (SLAMs), another mast-mounted weapon system.
In a July 2020, article for The War Zone, Tyler Rogoway discusses that mast-mounted submarine weapons systems, like SLAMs and potentially lasers, might only serve as a last resort for submarines detected and threatened by aerial or space-based attacks. Rogoway explains that using SLAMs or submarine-mounted lasers would necessitate the submarine being perilously close to the surface to fire, making it vulnerable to attack. He suggests that employing SLAMs or submarine-mounted lasers could offer plausible deniability, as the attacking submarine’s nationality might remain unknown until after the attack.
Rogoway warns that SLAM or submarine laser attacks might not always destroy their targets, potentially revealing the submarine’s position and leading to its destruction. He also highlights the technical challenges of fitting SLAMs or lasers on a submarine mast. In January 2024, Asia Times noted that current laser weapons face constraints in physical size, weight, power, and cooling, which are challenging even for surface warships and more so for submarines.
Rogoway suggests that SLAMs or submarine-mounted lasers might be considered a last-resort weapon due to their significant implications. He also notes that these weapons conflict with traditional submarine warfare tactics. Additionally, the concept of submarine-mounted lasers could be rendered obsolete by the growing transparency of the world’s oceans, driven by advancements in commercial satellite imagery, synthetic aperture radar, hydroacoustic monitoring, and even social media.
In a March 2023, article for The Conversation, Roger Bradbury and his colleagues discuss how scientific advancements could lead to the detection of submarine movements and their environmental impacts, potentially making the oceans “transparent” and signalling the end of the submarine era. In 2020, Bradbury’s team conducted a comprehensive analysis focusing on the 2050s, using Intelfuze software for thorough, transparent, and updatable probabilistic evaluations, particularly suited for uncertain and speculative data.
Their findings indicate a high probability (90% likelihood from some perspectives) that the oceans will become transparent by the 2050s. This high-confidence estimate, independently evaluated by the software at over 70% certainty, suggests that submarines, including nuclear-powered ones, will likely be detectable in the world’s oceans due to scientific and technological advancements, despite any developments in stealth technologies.
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