MBDA displays a hybrid air defense system that combines a laser with an interceptor at the Berlin Air Show on June 11, 2026. (Breaking Defense)
BERLIN — As Europe struggles with drone incursions and proliferation of uncrewed systems rise on the battlefields of Ukraine, MBDA today presented what it’s calling a novel solution at the Berlin Air Show: a turret mounted high-energy laser paired with a missile interceptor system.
The European missile house says that the hybrid platform, which could enter service with Germany before the end of the decade, has been designed to address the “growing challenge of small, fast, and low-cost unmanned aerial threats.” The pairing of the DEWS-L laser weapon and the company’s DEFENDAIR guided missile offers “overlapping engagement envelopes.”
The laser is specifically intended to neutralize close-range targets, including drone swarms, as depicted in an infographic presented by company officials during a press briefing.
The new combo comes as militaries, and therefore defense firms, the world over race to combat the threat of drones and missiles without breaking the bank on pricey interceptors. Israel, for instance, has reportedly operationally deployed its Iron Beam laser air defense system.
