In Britain, a high-energy laser weapon from armored vehicles was tested — it can shoot down drones in the air, which happened during the tests.
This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of the country.
Great Britain built a laser into the Wolfhound armored personnel carrier. The working principle of the laser is that it directs an intense beam of infrared light in the form of energy to its target using advanced sensors and tracking systems that guarantee real-time fixation and accuracy.
Unlike conventional weapons, laser weapons are actually not limited by the amount of ammunition. It can become a cost-effective alternative to some other types of weapons.
"The successful test of this laser weapon system is a significant step forward in our development of a possible future defense capability and demonstrates British engineering excellence," said Minister for Defense Procurement and Industry Maria Eagle.
The laser was developed in collaboration between the US Department of Defenseʼs Defense Equipment and Support (DE&S) and the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory, led by Raytheon UK.
“Itʼs still a new technology, but the world has changed and weʼre seeing more use of drones in the warspace. This requires a more cost-effective solution to protect our troops. The ability to track and destroy drones in motion will give the UK military an operational advantage and these successful trials have shown that we are well on our way to achieving this goal,” said DE&S Directed Energy Weapons Team Leader Stephen Waller.
What preceded
Britain reported the first successful tests of laser weapons in January of this year. In April, the Defense Minister said that Great Britain is considering giving Ukraine a prototype DragonFire combat laser capable of shooting down drones and missiles.
The range of the system is classified, but it is known that DragonFire strikes in a direct beam and can hit visible targets at the speed of light. The systemʼs accuracy is described as pinpoint — the weapon can hit a £1 coin from a kilometer away. A 10-second shot costs the equivalent of using a regular heater for an hour. The cost of such a shot does not exceed £10 (491 hryvnias).
In March, the British Ministry of Defense published footage of DragonFire tests. The video showed the use of the laser against static targets and January tests at the training ground. The video also simulates how a laser installed on a warship disables a boat, blinds one UAV and shoots down another.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine please follow us on X.