Russia Tests Chinese Laser Air Defense in Bid to Stop Ukrainian Drones

Russian forces near the Ukrainian border have deployed a Chinese-made laser air defense system to counter Ukrainian drones, according to the Russian outlet Mash, which published footage of the system in use on December 19.

The video, released by Mash, shows what the outlet describes as a laser-based air defense installation undergoing field trials. According to the report, the system was provided for testing to a Russian unit known as “Nomads.”

Mash claims the trials lasted three months and that the laser system proved effective, allegedly destroying “hundreds of Ukrainian drones” during that period. These figures could not be independently verified.

According to Ukrainian defense media outlet Militarnyi, the system can transition to combat readiness in roughly two minutes and is capable of engaging drones at distances of up to 1.5 kilometers.

“The experiment with this type of air defense was deemed successful, and it is planned to be expanded,” the report said.

Footage published by Mash shows the system’s control interface, which closely resembles that of the Chinese laser air defense platform known as Silent Hunter. The video itself features visuals consistent with the Chinese Silent Hunter system, Militarnyi notes.

Silent Hunter, also referred to as LASS (Low-Altitude Laser Defense System), is a turret-mounted air defense platform equipped with a 30-kilowatt fiber-optic laser and typically installed on an off-road vehicle chassis.

The system combines radar and an electro-optical targeting station for detection, tracking, and engagement. According to publicly available specifications, the radar can detect targets at distances of up to 5 kilometers, while the optical system can lock onto targets at ranges of up to 3 kilometers. The effective engagement range against drones is listed at up to 1.5 kilometers, with the laser also capable of blinding drone cameras at distances of up to 3 kilometers.

In addition, Militarnyi notes, not only Russia and China operate this system, but some versions of the Silent Hunter laser air defense system are reportedly operated by Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, Ukrainian forces struck a major Russian aviation plant in the city of Taganrog overnight, destroying what defense analysts say was one of the most unusual and secretive aircraft in Russia’s inventory—the A-60 1A2, a Soviet-era airborne laser weapons platform intended to blind satellites and shoot down aircraft.

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