U.S. Intelligence Warns China Could Deploy Laser Weapons in Space by 2030
Source Summary
A U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency report warns that China is developing directed-energy weapons and spaceplanes for potential military use in orbit, with capability to deploy laser weapons in space by the end of the 2020s. The report, titled Challenges to Security in Space, marks the first time the U.S. government has provided an estimated timeline for China's development of such capabilities. The DIA report includes a rare image of China's newly developed reusable spaceplane.
Why it matters
The report establishes the first official U.S. government timeline for China's space-based directed-energy weapons capability, informing strategic defense planning and international space security policy.
