In today’s world, warfare is becoming more and more a matter of technological solutions, with drones, electronic warfare, AI and now – laser beams.
This new weapon, long featured in sci-fi stories, is about to become a fixture of future military confrontations.
The British Ministry of Defense announced that it test-fired a laser beam weapon that can track and take down multiple targets for a very low cost – just $0.12 a shot.
The laser energy weapon was mounted on an armored vehicle, and was able to neutralize multiple targets more than half a mile away.
Business Insider reported:
“It described the trial as a “ground-breaking” test conducted for the first time from a land vehicle in England, and said it gave the UK military a greater tactical advantage in combat.
This technology offers a precise, powerful, and cost-effective means to defeat aerial threats, ensuring greater protection for our forces,” said Matt Cork, program lead of the UK’s Defense and Science Technology Laboratory, or dstl.”
The new technology was developed by Raytheon UK, along with Frazer-Nash, NP Aerospace, LumOptica, Blighter Surveillance Systems, and Cambridge Pixel.
The system was reportedly designed to integrate with air-defense systems and other platforms, and is capable of defeating NATO class 1 drones.
“‘We now look forward to the British Army experimenting with the weapon over the coming months and proving that the technology is battlefield-ready’, James Gray, chief executive and managing director of Raytheon UK, said.”
From the Ukraine war to the Houthis in Yemen, in every battlefield, drones have become one of the deadliest weapons available, with low cost compared to the heavy equipment they can destroy.
“Ukraine, Russia, Israel, and other countries have responded to the growing threat from drones by developing anti-drone technology to intercept them, mostly through jamming and in the form of directed-energy weapons.
The UK MOD said in May that it is also developing a radio frequency-directed energy weapon, which uses radio waves to detect, track, and disable electronic components at a range of up to 1000 meters.”
The US, France, China, Germany, Russia, India, and Israel, are also racing to develop their own directed-energy weapons.
Trials of a new laser fitted to a @BritishArmy Wolfhound have been completed by @dstlmod, @DefenceES and industry partners.
The laser can neutralise targets at distances in excess of 1km for only 10p a shot, less than a cup of tea.
Read more https://t.co/K6VhUJFVhe pic.twitter.com/CRvSAyu8iH
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) July 22, 2024
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