Watch: China showcases OW5 laser weapon in ‘border control’ exercise

China on Monday (July 21) conducted a warfare demonstration showcasing a wide array of uncrewed systems, in an attempt to position itself as a major global drone supplier. State media CCTV reported that the exercise was held at an Inner Mongolia testing ground, and it simulated the “seizure and control of critical border locations.”

The drill featured six phases of a futuristic battlefield scenario, including reconnaissance, AI planning, infiltration, aerial attack, elimination, and anti-access, deploying various Chinese-made systems.

Burning out drone circuits in seconds! China's OW5 laser weapon system, displayed Monday in North China's Inner Mongolia, is a high-mobility, vehicle-mounted, low-altitude anti-drone system. It can rapidly switch targets after taking one down. pic.twitter.com/OD4R6AS6UF

— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) July 22, 2025

Displayed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) included ISR drones, long- and short-range loitering munitions, uncrewed helicopters, and tactical first-person view (FPV) devices.

Ground systems, such as smart command-and-control units and anti-drone defences, were also showcased.

A rare live-fire demonstration featured the OW-5 anti-drone laser weapon, whose “high-energy beam barely visible to bare eyes” downed a drone “a few kilometres away,” CCTV reported.

Unveiled statically at the 2021 Zhuhai air show, the upgraded OW5-A50, with a 50-kilowatt output, integrates command-and-control, radar, sensors, and a laser gun on an 8x8 Dongfeng truck, enabling standalone or networked air defence.

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CCTV highlighted laser weapons’ ability to instantly destroy targets with unlimited ammunition, dependent on the power supply.

The exercise demonstrated drone-artillery coordination, with a 155mm howitzer engaging targets using real-time UAV-transmitted coordinates.

Small tactical drones, including a flying jammer disrupting electro-optical equipment over several kilometres, were also featured.

Notable drones included the Flying Frog (VTOL reconnaissance), Flying Falcon (high-speed loitering munition), Black Bee (grenade-throwing), and Flying Whale (bomb-dropping).

“With these smart partners, our infantry soldiers can evolve into future nodes with full-domain situational awareness and precision strikes, to win by intelligence on the modern battlefield,” CCTV stated.

Norinco, China’s largest arms manufacturer and exporter, organised the event, unveiling its Feilong (Flying Dragon) loitering munitions family.

The series includes the anti-personnel Feilong-10, with a range under 10km, and the Feilong-300A, an anti-radiation drone targeting air defence radars up to 300km away.

The Feilong-60 serves as a reconnaissance source or hoverable cruise missile, launchable from rocket systems, while the Feilong-30 adapts to trucks, vehicles, or ships. These drones can form a networked swarm for saturated attacks, per CCTV.