Overview

• A green-covered device on an eight-wheeled truck spotted during parade rehearsals prompted reports that China will show a new high-energy laser on Wednesday in Tiananmen Square.
• The Telegraph, citing Chinese state-linked messaging, describes it as the most powerful of its kind, while specialists speculate it could be a 10-kilowatt OW5-A10 meant to counter drone swarms.
• Verification of the system’s identity and capability remains absent, and experts note there is little public evidence that such lasers perform reliably in real operations.
• Xi Jinping is set to review the display with high-profile guests including Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-Un, and Iran’s president, signaling political intent alongside technical claims.
• Analysts highlight lasers’ low per-shot costs but warn of major hurdles such as heavy power demands and performance degradation in smoke, fog, or dust, even as Israel, the UK, and the U.S. pursue similar systems.