Laser

Anti-Satellite Laser Base Discovered in China's Xinjiang Province

Recently released images, which were provided by retired Indian Army Col. Vinayak Bhat, a satellite imagery analyst who specializes on China, have revealed the presence of an anti-satellite laser base in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang.

According to the Washington Free Beacon, the base is located roughly 145 miles south of Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, and is situated near a lake.

"In terms of satellite tracking, Chinese technology has grown in leaps and bounds. There are now many space tracking stations dotted all over the country - like one in Ngari, Tibet - which provide accurate data about satellites to be targeted," Bhat said in his report for Indian outlet The Print.

"Once the accurate satellite path and other data is known, directed energy weapons (DEW) located at five different places can take over the task. One such facility is located in Xinjiang."

In his analysis of the base, Bhat notes that it features four main buildings with sliding roofs, and that three of those buildings are linked to "two vacuum spheres," which suggest that "chemical lasers are being used with rare earth metals like neodymium." Bhat based his speculation off both the shape and size of the buildings.