LY-1

LY-1, also called Liaoyuan-1, is a Chinese laser directed-energy weapon intended for close-range ship defense against drones and incoming missiles.

Image - LY-1 laser weapon on its eight-wheeled carrier at the 3 September 2025 Beijing parade. Photo by China News Service (中国新闻社), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

The LY-1 was officially unveiled at Beijing’s military parade on 3 September 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the war with Japan. Although displayed on an eight-wheeled truck, it was presented as a shipborne weapon, according to The War Zone. Naval News places it in the parade’s naval air-defense segment, following the HHQ-9C, HQ-16C and HQ-10 missile systems.

The Chinese military journal Ordnance Industry Science Technology describes Liaoyuan-1 as a final close-range defensive layer against incoming missiles and drones. Its account, carried by South China Morning Post, records the advertised role, not demonstrated interception capability.

Public reporting links the parade system to a similar turret observed aboard a Type 071 amphibious transport dock in 2024. Subsequent imagery suggests further shipboard evaluation. Those observations support an assessment of an active naval development program; they do not establish fleet-wide deployment or combat readiness. The War Zone notes that the system’s proximity to operational service remains unknown. Its manufacturer, production quantity, unit cost and verified engagement envelope are not publicly established.

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