The paper provided a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to attack satellites similar to Starlink while at sea.
“First, one or several submarines equipped with laser weapons are deployed to the sea area where the operation is to be conducted. They enter the target sea area according to the command instructions and wait for the satellites to come within their attack range. The time to raise the laser weapon is determined based on the previously acquired satellite overhead time,” they wrote.
“When the satellite enters the attackable range, the laser weapon is raised. Due to the limitations of the submarine’s detection equipment, other forces are required to provide satellite position guidance for the submarine to attack the satellite. After the attack is completed, the submarine can submerge and wait for the next mission or return to the home port.”
While China collaborates with Elon Musk’s Tesla on electric vehicles, its view of his SpaceX company is markedly different, per official data released recently. China boasts over 900 satellites in orbit, whereas the US commands seven times that figure, predominantly through its Starlink constellation.
In a notable incident last year, two Starlink satellites approached the Chinese space station in a concerning manner, prompting emergency evacuation protocols among astronauts. This event heightened Beijing’s concerns that the US could potentially deploy these cost-effective satellites to threaten China’s expensive space assets.
Primarily used for communication, Starlink satellites gained further attention after SpaceX successfully tested its Starship rocket last month. This achievement led some Chinese military analysts to speculate that future Starlink satellites might carry additional payloads for military applications, including reconnaissance and electronic interference.
The Starshield program, a joint initiative by the Pentagon and SpaceX to monitor China’s hypersonic weapons, has exacerbated these concerns. The development of laser weapons poses numerous technological hurdles, spanning energy storage, heat management, and optical precision. However, China has accelerated its research efforts and achieved significant breakthroughs, particularly since the deployment of Starlink during the conflict in Ukraine.
These advancements include robust power supply systems capable of supporting high-power, densely packed launches, compact yet powerful solid-state lasers, an optical fiber network capable of transmitting over 10,000 watts of power with exceptional fidelity, and technologies for synthesizing laser beams using hundreds of such optical fibers.
According to recent studies by Chinese scientists, lasers have additional applications such as creating air bubbles on submarine surfaces to reduce drag or generating silent shock waves for propulsion. Wang’s team highlighted that beyond anti-satellite operations, submarines armed with laser weapons could undertake various roles. These include engaging anti-submarine aircraft, safeguarding merchant vessels and strategic missile submarines, conducting anti-missile operations in offshore enemy territories, or targeting land-based assets like radars and oil storage facilities.
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Their research suggests that even a modest 150-kilowatt laser on a submarine can disable photoelectric detection equipment on an anti-submarine aircraft within milliseconds, with an effective range exceeding 20 kilometers. Continuous firing could potentially breach the aircraft’s fuselage.
Strategic missile submarines of China are poised in oceans, prepared for nuclear missions whether in peace or conflict. Yet, they face vulnerability to airborne threats, necessitating escort by submarines equipped with laser weaponry, as outlined by Wang’s team.
“When executing a nuclear counter-attack mission, the escorting submarine can first use the laser weapon to interfere with or destroy overhead satellites in the sea area, making it difficult for the enemy’s space-based surveillance system to function, thereby achieving the concealment of missile launches,” they wrote.
China’s sea transport is increasingly busy. “If our country’s sea lines of communication are cut off, it will lead to difficulties in obtaining a large amount of war-essential supplies, most importantly, the supply of oil,” Wang’s team said.
Traditionally, surface warships have been tasked with escorting merchant ships, but they have limited self-sufficiency and are vulnerable to detection and attacks. In contrast, submarines offer stealth capabilities and high self-sufficiency, enabling prolonged underwater operations.
Moreover, if submarines are equipped with laser weapons, they can intercept airborne threats targeting merchant vessels. Additionally, they can utilize their arsenal of anti-ship missiles and torpedoes to engage enemy surface warships and submarines, according to the researchers.
“Merchant ship routes are relatively stable, so submarines can formulate corresponding navigation plans before escorting and do not need to communicate with the escorted ships,” they said.
