A laser requires only energy and costs as little as a few euros per shot
Ukraine’s armed forces are preparing to deploy laser weapons in a bid to defend the country’s skies against relentless Russian drone attacks as ammunition stocks run dangerously low.
Laser weaponry is no longer science fiction. Several major defence companies have already brought laser-based air defence systems to market. Now the futuristic technology could soon enter regular combat use. Last week, Ukraine announced plans to integrate laser weapons into its drone defence ecosystem.
“This is a matter of the next two to three months. We will have systems that hit aerial attack weapons even better than machine guns,” Ukraine’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Andrii Lebedenko, told Ukrainian media.
Laser Directed Energy Weapons (LDEWs) fire a continuous beam of concentrated energy at a target, either blinding it by destroying its optical sensors or disabling it by damaging its electronics.
