Powerful anti-drone laser spotted on PLA amphibious ship in South China Sea

China’s most advanced laser weapon has been spotted aboard a Type 071 amphibious landing ship in the China-sea" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="8346" data-entity-type="location">South China Sea, adding near-shore anti-drone capabilities to a family of warships vital for potential conflicts in sensitive waters, according to analysts.In a People’s Liberation Army joint air and naval drill at Scarborough Shoal on August 1, a shipborne laser weapon believed to be the Liaoyuan-1 (LY-1) was seen on the Qilianshan, making it the latest large surface vessel so far equipped with the anti-drone directed-energy weapon.During the drill at the disputed shoal, known in China as Huangyan Island, a rectangular object was seen behind the Qilianshan’s 76mm dual-purpose gun, according to video footage released by state broadcaster CCTV.