Laser weapons

2024

Using laser guns to combat UAVs in China

In mid-August 2024, it became known that China had installed laser-guided energy weapons on the landing ship to counter drones, satellite networks and other advanced attack or surveillance technologies. Read more here.

A laser installation for the destruction of drones was created in Belarus

An innovative laser installation for the destruction of drones has been developed in Belarus. A video demonstration of the latest weapons was presented on June 20, 2024 to the public, confirming its high efficiency and potential. Read more here.

US Army uses laser weapons in Iraq in combat conditions

In early April 2024, it became known that the US Army uses laser weapons in Iraq in combat conditions. Such installations are used to destroy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), missiles and artillery shells. Read more here.

China has created laser weapons to destroy hypersonic missiles

At the end of March 2024, it became known that Chinese scientists and the military developed laser weapons to destroy hypersonic missiles. Moreover, as established in the course of research, an increase in beam power does not lead to a proportional increase in missile damage. Read more here.

Russia has developed a laser guidance system for guided missiles

The Ramensky Instrument-Making Plant (RPZ) developed and patented a new optical laser beam target guidance system for Russian missiles. The new technology became known on January 26, 2024. Read more here.

2023

Israel began shooting down missiles with a laser

In mid-October 2023, information appeared that the Israeli Ministry of Defense decided to accelerate the development of an air defense (air defense) laser complex called the Iron Beam. The system is used to intercept missiles launched from the Gaza Strip. Read more here.

US Army receives laser air defense system

On August 9, 2023, it became known that the US Army received a new laser installation, which is planned to be used as an air defense system. Read more here.

Lockheed Martin's 500kW laser weapon announcement for planes

On July 28, 2023, the American military-industrial corporation Lockheed Martin announced an increase in the power of its solid-state laser weapon from 300 kW to 500 kW. The installation is planned to be used in the interests of the US Army. Read more here.

Belarusian company showed a laser module for destroying drones

On May 19, 2023, the Lamb Scientific and Technical Center (Belarus) presented a module for destroying unmanned aerial vehicles using a laser beam at a distance of up to 1.5 km. The company said that the device was created based on the results of a project implemented for one of the Middle Eastern customers. Read more here.

Lockheed Martin unveils combat laser for US Army

In mid-January 2023, the American military-industrial corporation Lockheed Martin introduced a combat laser for the US Army with a capacity of 300 kW. The company was chosen by the US military to scale the architecture of a combined high-energy laser with a spectral beam. The device is designed for air defense, and can also be part of military vehicles and used in combat conditions to defeat various targets. The project was named the High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI). Read more here.

2022

Britain has £100m high-energy laser weapon

In early November 2022, the UK Ministry of Defence announced a successful test of Britain's first powerful long-range directed energy laser weapon called DragonFire, held on October 17 at the Porton Down Science Park training ground in Wiltshire. Read more here.

US Navy receives Lockheed Martin tactical laser weapon worth $1 shot

In August 2022, it became known that the US Navy received the first tactical laser weapon developed by Lockheed Martin. Among the features of the system called HELIOS are power of more than 60 kW, almost unlimited ammunition and a shot cost of about $1 (excluding the cost of equipment). Read more here.

Russia has created a laser that destroys drones from 5 km

On May 18, 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov announced that the Russian army had begun using a new generation of laser weapons, which are capable of destroying air targets at a distance of several kilometers.

Laser systems have been developed and almost serially produced, which have an order of magnitude large powers that already allow thermal damage to various means, "he said.

According to the deputy chairman of the government, during the tests, a laser at a distance of 5 km burned a drone in 5 seconds. The device collapsed. At the same time, the name of the new laser system is not announced.

Borisov expressed confidence that conventional weapons will be replaced by laser and electromagnetic weapons in the coming decades.

He also noted that the Peresvet combat laser complex is already supplied to the army in series, the Deputy Prime Minister noted. It can "blind all satellite reconnaissance systems of a likely enemy in orbits of up to 1.5 thousand km," disabling them.

The complexes are used to cover the movement of strategic missile systems. As Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported, these complexes are deployed in positional areas of five divisions of strategic missile forces.

According to Borisov, in the coming decades, the troops will receive new weapons "on new physical principles," including laser weapons.

Earlier, the president Russia Vladimir Putin suggested that tactical-level combat laser systems - weapons "that have only recently been found in fantastic stories" - in the coming decades will "largely determine the potential of the Russian army and navy." In the same year, Peresvet complexes were put on combat duty^[1]

Building laser weapons to intercept mines and drones

On April 18, 2022, Rafael announced the successful testing of Iron Beam laser weapons in various conditions against threats on steep trajectories, including UAVs, mortars, missiles and anti-tank missiles. These weapons should complement the Israeli air defense system - the Iron Dome. Read more here.

2021: World's first drone with laser weapons created

In December 2021, it became known about the creation of the world's first drone with laser weapons. A model called Eren was developed by the Turkish state research institute Tübtak and a private company Assguard in conjunction with the forensic department of the Main Directorate of Security. Turkey More. here

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