Australia and Japan team up to co-develop laser weapons

Australia and Japan have completed the first successful field trials of a jointly developed high-energy laser system, called Boobook, at test sites in South Australia, Australia’s Department of Defence announced Tuesday.

The trials took place at the Cultana Training Area and the Defence Science and Technology Group’s Edinburgh facility. Boobook is the first co-development project between Australian and Japanese defense industries, built on more than 20 years of laser research by DSTG, Australia’s defense science agency.

The program brings together DSTG, Mitsubishi Electric Australia and its Tokyo-based parent company, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. DSTG said the system is intended to enhance surveillance capability, though it did not disclose specific power output, range or other performance figures from the trials.

The project follows a May 4 announcement by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi committing to expanded defense and security cooperation between the two countries.

“This project demonstrates close collaboration with Japan, to develop cutting-edge technologies that address real capability needs for the Australian Defence Force,” said Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy. “Boobook is more than a technology project. It is a practical example of the growing defence industrial partnership between Australia and Japan, as well as the opportunities that partnership creates for both nations.”

Mitsubishi Electric Australia is building a new facility in Rydalmere, New South Wales, to support large-scale manufacturing of the system in Australia. The company said the $70 million investment will house a new MEA Defence Division and expand local access to Mitsubishi Electric’s broader portfolio of defense technologies.

“The establishment of Mitsubishi Electric Australia’s new defence facilities in Rydalmere is a strong vote of confidence in Australia’s defence industrial future and will support new opportunities for advanced manufacturing, technology transfer and workforce growth,” Conroy said.

DSTG has pursued separate high-energy laser development efforts in recent years, including a 2023 agreement with QinetiQ Australia to combine QinetiQ’s coherent beam combining technology with DSTG’s high-power amplifiers. That program, distinct from Boobook, produced Australia’s first scalable high-power laser optical chain prototype demonstration in 2025.

The government did not specify a timeline for Boobook’s next development phase or when the system might reach operational testing with the Australian Defence Force.