Research recently conducted by China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) scientists has claimed that PLA submarines equipped with laser weapons would be able to destroy SpaceX’s Starlink satellites if China’s security was in jeopardy.
The research states that a submarine fitted with a solid-state, megawatt-class laser weapon can fire at satellites while remaining underwater and retracting its “optoelectronic mast” before diving back to the ocean floor.
In a peer-reviewed paper published last month in the Chinese-language journal Command Control & Simulation, the project team headed by Wang Dan, a professor at the Naval Submarine Academy, suggested that this kind of laser attack submarine could be mass-produced in the future and stationed in different oceans to counter military threats to China. A report from the South China Morning Post revealed the study’s specifics.
Anti-satellite operations from the surface are prone to be detected by adversaries. The report explains that missile launches often leave extensive smoke trails. Attacking from a surface location facilitates the easy disclosure of one’s location, thereby creating an opening for enemy artillery to launch an attack. The group declared it “too risky” and added that the fact that these satellites were getting smaller was not helpful.
“Taking the satellites launched by the Starlink program as an example, they are numerous, densely packed, and small in size, making the satellite network extremely resilient. Even if a significant number of satellites are destroyed, there are redundancies to replace them. Therefore, using missiles to attack such satellites is highly inefficient,” Wang’s team said. “Submarine-based laser weapons can solve these issues.”
Space researchers and analysts have repeatedly warned that directed-energy weapons, including powerful microwave systems and lasers, can be aimed at satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO). They are also the only means of engaging a large number of targets in LEO.
Earlier, China claimed to have developed a compact power source that could drastically reduce the size of a high-power microwave weapon capable of downing satellites. According to researchers, this device can produce up to 10 gigawatts of power, with a frequency of 10 pulses per second.
Chinese researchers are not the only ones to float the idea of submarines destroying satellites. A US Naval Institute feature article published earlier this year emphasizes the role of a submarine’s stealth in launching an anti-satellite attack.
“Satellite constellations in LEO are the most susceptible to antisatellite weapons, such as the direct-ascent interceptors the United States demonstrated during Operation Burnt Frost,” it stated. The author cautions that these direct-ascent interceptors are expensive, and in a great power battle, their usefulness would be severely limited by the large number of targets nearby.
The use of directed-energy weapons and submarines as potential threats to satellites in LEO highlights the growing concern for the security and protection of space assets. As countries continue to develop and test new technologies for space warfare, the need for international cooperation and regulations to prevent the militarization of space becomes increasingly urgent.
Efforts to establish norms and treaties to prevent the weaponization of space have been ongoing for years, but progress has been slow. The potential consequences of a conflict in space, including the creation of debris that could threaten other satellites and spacecraft, make it imperative for nations to work together to ensure the peaceful use of outer space.
As the capabilities of space weapons continue to advance, it is crucial for policymakers and decision-makers to consider the implications of these technologies and take steps to prevent a dangerous escalation of tensions in space. Only through cooperation and diplomacy can we hope to protect the fragile environment of space and ensure the continued exploration and utilization of this critical domain.
