The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has made an unusual move to disclose the development of a new directed-energy weapon system.

The state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) released footage showing a new directed-energy weapon system, known as a Chinese laser gun.

Details of the new development were not disclosed, although local source reported that system designed to instantly obliterate targets near a coastal line, included small boats and unmanned aerial vehicles.

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The Chinese laser gun could be used against low-end asymmetric threats and will be used in the People’s Liberation Army Navy.

It is expected that the new system could have scalable power levels to be able to fire a non-lethal beam to dazzle a suspect vessel, and fire stronger beams to physically destroy a target.

Additionally, the People’s Liberation Army Navy has begun rough sea trials of its warship-mounted electromagnetic railgun installed on a Type 072II Yuting-class tank-landing ship, called the Haiyangshan.

The Haiyangshan is a tank-landing ship converted for a new futuristic electromagnetic railgun that is expected to enter China’s arsenal by 2025.