China developing lidar-based satellite to detect deep-diving submarines

As China develops cutting-edge deep-sea surveillance, the nation’s navy is concurrently designing a satellite-mounted laser to locate and destroy enemy submarines. Space War reports. The satellite, which will be able to spot targets deeper than 1,600 feet below the surface, also would gather data on the world’s oceans, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. For more than half a century, weapons designers around the globe have been attempting to build a light detection and ranging (lidar) laser that would target submerged submarine forces. When a laser beam hits a submarine, some of the light-energy pulses bounce back. Those pulses are detected by sensors and analyzed by software to discern a target’s location, speed and physical dimensions. In real-world applications, however, lidar technology is easily affected by a device’s power limitations, as well as cloud, fog, murky water and marine life.