China Brings OW5-A50 High-Energy Laser Air Defense Weapon System to Global Market.

China’s state-owned defense firm NORINCO is publicly promoting its OW5-A50 high-energy laser air defense system at UMEX 2026 in Abu Dhabi, marking the platform’s first international appearance. The move highlights Beijing’s growing confidence in exporting directed-energy counter-drone systems amid accelerating global demand.

At the UMEX 2026 unmanned systems exhibition in Abu Dhabi, China’s defense industry heavyweight NORINCO is placing the spotlight on its OW5-A50 high-energy laser air defense system, presenting one of its most advanced counter-drone solutions to an international audience. The system appeared months after its official debut during China’s July 2025 Victory Day Parade, shifting from a domestically unveiled capability to a clearly export-oriented platform, according to industry observers who attended the event.
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Scale model of NORINCO’s OW5-A50 laser air defense system displayed at UMEX 2026, mounted on an 8×8 heavy tactical truck platform. The system is designed to counter drones, helicopters, and indirect fire threats using a 50-kilowatt high-energy laser. (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

The Chinese OW5-A50 is a mobile, ground-based directed-energy weapon designed to neutralize low-flying aerial threats, including small UAVs, loitering munitions, helicopters, and even short-range projectiles such as mortar rounds. Rated at 50 kilowatts of output power, the A50 variant represents the top-tier model in NORINCO’s OW5 series, featuring a ruggedized 8×8 heavy-duty chassis and an autonomous power generation suite - allowing for fully independent operation in austere or dispersed battlefield conditions.

Chinese defense officials say the system was developed in response to the exponential rise in drone-related threats observed during the Russian-Ukrainian war, where low-cost drones - some priced below $30,000 - routinely bypass traditional air defense systems and conduct strikes with impunity. Conventional missile-based systems are ill-suited to this threat environment, both in terms of economics and reload rates, prompting a global search for more scalable, cost-effective alternatives. Directed energy systems like the OW5-A50 are designed to fill this gap, offering nearly unlimited firing capacity as long as power and line of sight are maintained.

The emergence of laser-based air defense technologies is one of the most consequential developments in military modernization since 2022. The Russia-Ukraine war has been a turning point in the evolution of drone warfare, where commercial quadcopters and modified racing drones have delivered devastating effects on armored vehicles, logistics convoys, and static positions. Their affordability and modularity have enabled militaries and irregular forces to deploy them en masse, often overwhelming traditional radar-guided systems. From Lancet loitering munitions to first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drones assembled with commercial parts, the war has shown that drone swarms are now a defining feature of 21st-century warfare.

Ukrainian and Russian forces alike have struggled to find scalable countermeasures. Short-range air defense (SHORAD) systems and even modern medium-range missile platforms like Buk or Tor are routinely forced to engage $1,000 drones with missiles costing upwards of $100,000. This economic mismatch has triggered urgent calls across NATO, the Gulf states, and Asia for a new generation of low-cost-per-shot defenses. Lasers, with their silent, speed-of-light engagement profile and nearly zero per-shot cost, are now being seen as the most promising frontier in this fight.

NORINCO had showcased conceptual variants of the OW5 family as early as 2021, including the OW5-A10 and A30 models, but the OW5-A50 did not emerge in operational form until mid-2025. Prior to its official unveiling in Beijing, footage of the system was leaked online, showing the A50 variant in highway transit, sparking speculation about its mobility, power source, and intended deployment configuration. The A10 version, which uses a 10-kilowatt laser mounted on a lighter Dongfeng Mengshi tactical vehicle, is aimed at point defense for mobile units or critical infrastructure, reducing threat exposure. In contrast, the A50 model delivers sufficient power for layered defense missions against swarms and more resilient drone platforms.

The A50’s mobility is a critical factor for survivability and tactical flexibility. Mounted on a robust 8×8 wheeled platform, it can rapidly shift positions to avoid enemy targeting or reposition in response to shifting drone threats. Its integrated power module eliminates the need for external generators or support vehicles - a common vulnerability in earlier directed energy systems fielded by other nations. Though NORINCO did not reveal detailed performance metrics, defense analysts estimate an engagement range of several kilometers and the capacity to engage multiple targets in quick succession using an electro-optical tracking suite.

UMEX 2026’s inclusion of the OW5-A50 underscores a growing trend in international defense procurement: a shift from expensive, conventional interceptor systems toward laser-based, low-cost-per-shot alternatives that can scale with future drone swarm threats. Directed energy is no longer a research fantasy or a niche capability - it is becoming a battlefield necessity. For China, this marks not only a technological milestone but a geopolitical signal - it intends to lead the global export market in next-generation air defense, laser weapons included.

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.