EXCLUSIVE: Japan installs 100kW laser weapon on Japanese Navy JS Asuka warship ahead of sea trials.

Japan has installed a 100kW-class laser weapon aboard the experimental ship JS Asuka as part of its directed-energy weapons program. The move signals a major step toward future ship-based defenses against drones, missiles, and fast-moving aerial threats.

Japan’s push into directed-energy weapons for naval applications has reached a decisive milestone. According to information published on December 2, 2025, by the X account agcdetk, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has installed a 100 kW-class laser weapon system aboard the experimental test ship JS Asuka, with final integration now underway at Japan Marine United’s Isogo shipyard. The system, developed by the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency, is expected to enter full-scale sea trials in 2026, following earlier railgun experiments conducted on the same platform.
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Japanese Navy experimental test ship JS Asuka is undergoing integration of ATLA’s 100kW-class laser weapon system at JMU Isogo shipyard, marking a critical step toward Japan’s first at-sea trials of a high-energy directed-energy weapon. (Picture source: agcdetk X account )

Commissioned in 1995, the JS Asuka was specifically designed as a testbed vessel for advanced maritime defense technologies. As an experimental ship within the JMSDF, Asuka plays a unique role in bridging research and operational deployment. It allows the integration of non-standard equipment, such as electromagnetic railguns, prototype combat systems, and, now, high-energy lasers, without compromising frontline fleet readiness. By hosting cutting-edge technologies in real-world maritime conditions, Asuka enables Japan to validate systems under operational stress, contributing directly to the modernization of future naval platforms.

The laser system being installed is the result of nearly seven years of research and development led by ATLA under the Defense Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (DATA). Initiated in 2018, the project culminated in February 2023 with the completion of a 100kW-class laser demonstrator. Ground-based testing has already confirmed key performance thresholds. The next milestone will be sea-based trials, projected to begin after February 27, 2026, according to technical support materials released by DATA on December 1, 2025.

What makes this deployment particularly significant is the growing strategic value of directed-energy weapons in contemporary naval warfare. High-energy lasers like Japan’s 100kW system are specifically designed to counter a new generation of fast, maneuverable, and low-cost aerial threats such as drones, loitering munitions, and cruise missiles, which are increasingly difficult and expensive to counter using conventional systems.

Unlike interceptor missiles, which often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per shot and may be available in limited quantities, a laser weapon offers a virtually unlimited magazine constrained only by power supply. Each laser shot costs just a fraction of a missile launch and can be fired repeatedly with near-instantaneous response. This capability becomes crucial in scenarios involving saturation attacks by drone swarms or incoming anti-ship missiles, where conventional systems risk being overwhelmed or exhausted.

Moreover, high-energy lasers provide silent, speed-of-light engagement without visible signatures, making them ideal for selective engagement, minimal collateral damage, and use in densely populated or politically sensitive maritime zones. Their precision and low operating costs also make them ideal as part of layered defense architectures, complementing radar-guided missiles and close-in weapon systems (CIWS) for maximum threat coverage.

Japan's move aligns with parallel efforts by other leading naval powers. The United States Navy has been at the forefront of directed-energy weapon development for over a decade. Its early Laser Weapon System (LaWS), a 30kW demonstrator, was successfully deployed aboard the USS Ponce in the Persian Gulf in 2014. Since then, the U.S. has advanced to more powerful systems, such as the 60kW HELIOS laser, now integrated aboard Arleigh Burke-class destroyers for operational testing. The U.S. Navy’s ODIN (Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy) system has also been deployed to counter drone and small-boat threats.

The United Kingdom has similarly invested in shipborne laser technology through its DragonFire program, a high-precision 50 kW-class laser weapon developed in partnership with MBDA, Leonardo, and QinetiQ. Following a successful series of ground-based tests and laser firings in 2023 and 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed plans to begin maritime trials in 2025, with short-term operational deployment expected by 2026 aboard Royal Navy platforms, potentially including the Type 23 and Type 26 frigates.

These developments reflect a broader strategic consensus across NATO and allied navies that laser weapons are no longer just conceptual. They are becoming indispensable tools for defeating low-cost, high-volume threats that increasingly challenge conventional ship defense systems. As the cost-per-shot ratio favors lasers over traditional interceptors and as shipboard power generation technologies improve, these systems are poised to become standard across a new generation of combat vessels.

In Japan’s case, the introduction of a high-energy laser aboard the Asuka fits into a broader shift in defense posture focused on resilience, technological superiority, and reduced reliance on expensive missile inventories. It also coincides with increased defense spending and a growing emphasis on distributed lethality within the JMSDF, particularly amid ongoing tensions in the East China Sea and the wider Indo-Pacific region.

Sources close to the project suggest that the Japanese laser weapon features a modular electrical power system, advanced beam control, and integrated cooling units to ensure stable operation under maritime conditions. The system is expected to be scalable for deployment on future classes of Japanese surface combatants, including the Mogami-class multi-mission frigates and Aegis-equipped destroyers, potentially giving them an effective and sustainable tool for countering emerging threats in complex operating environments.

In addition to its immediate military applications, the integration of directed-energy systems may also influence Japan’s domestic defense industry, opening pathways for joint R&D projects with allies and commercial spin-offs in advanced optics, energy storage, and autonomous targeting systems.

The upcoming sea trials aboard the JS Asuka will be a pivotal test not just of hardware, but of Japan’s strategic vision for a new kind of naval warfare. In this vision, energy replaces explosives as the central pillar of shipboard defense. If successful, this could mark the beginning of a new era in which laser weapons become standard defensive tools across the fleets of the Indo-Pacific.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.