Ukraine has reportedly created a laser weapon that can intercept targets from over a mile away, according to the commander of the country’s drone forces.
During a defense summit held in Kyiv this week, Vadym Sukharevskyi, who leads the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems, stated, “Currently, we are able to down aircraft using this laser at altitudes exceeding 2 kilometers (1.2 miles).”
“It is indeed operational and it does exist,” he added, as reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, noting that efforts are underway to expand the weapon’s capabilities and scale.
The laser system is referred to as Tryzub, which translates to “trident” in Ukrainian, symbolizing the nation’s independence, strength, and unity.
Sukharevskyi did not provide additional specifics regarding the Tryzub laser. Experts have indicated that the development of the Tryzub is “plausible.”
Patrick Senft from Armament Research Services, a consultancy focused on munitions research, remarked to CNN that while details about the Tryzub system are scarce, “it is entirely plausible for Ukraine to create a functional directed-energy weapon (DEW) capable of neutralizing certain aerial threats.”
Senft indicated that the use of commercially available welding lasers, in conjunction with other existing technologies, makes this particularly feasible, citing the US Navy’s Laser Weapons System (LaWS), which has been operational at similar ranges since 2014.
He noted that directed-energy weapons (DEW) utilizing lasers are especially effective against slow, low-flying drones used by Russia, as these drones are made of relatively delicate materials that can easily be damaged by heat.
According to Senft, the low altitude and consistent flight patterns of UAVs, such as the Shahed-136/Geran-2 one-way-attack drones, render them particularly vulnerable to prolonged laser exposure. This allows the weapon to focus energy on a specific area to incapacitate essential components.
He also pointed out that these weapons face two significant limitations: the speed of the target and the energy loss of the lasers over distance. Targets that move quickly or are resistant to heat, such as artillery shells and ballistic missiles, are considerably more challenging to neutralize and require more sophisticated systems.
Fabien Hoffmann from the Oslo Nuclear Project (ONP) mentioned that there are numerous technical hurdles to effectively deploying a laser system for countering drones or missiles.
These obstacles encompass addressing concerns related to the intensity of the laser beam and the system’s cooling mechanisms, as well as the absorption and reflection of the laser beam by the atmosphere, particularly in conditions such as clouds or rain. Additionally, there is a phenomenon referred to as ‘thermal blooming,’ which occurs when the laser beam heats the surrounding air, leading to its dispersion and diminishing its power and effectiveness against the target, he explained.
“To evaluate its efficacy in a missile defense capacity, we must observe its performance in real-world scenarios,” Hoffmann noted.
It is believed that only a limited number of nations, including the United States, China, and Israel, currently possess laser weaponry.
The United Kingdom is also in the process of developing its own laser weapon system, known as DragonFire, which is anticipated to be operational by 2027.
In April, former Defense Minister Grant Shapps indicated that DragonFire could potentially be deployed in Ukraine to combat Russian drones, as reported by Reuters.
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