International Military - On Thursday, April 14, Israel conducted a test-firing of a laser weapon that managed to bring down drones, mortars and missiles. “Lasers are a game changer thanks to their easy-to-operate systems and significant economic advantages”, says Brig. General Yaniv Rotem, head of Israel's military research and development department.
The test comes at a time when the threat of Iranian drones is growing, which experts fear will continue to be carried out by rebel groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. "The plan is to deploy multiple laser transmitters along Israel's borders for the next decade," Rotern told Breaking News.
Israel has been working on developing counter-drone lasers for years, proving that they are capable of subduing drones in tests a few days ago, is good news. According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, “we are one of the first countries in the world to successfully develop laser technology”, quotes Defense View.
And in fact there are several countries that first developed this directed energy firing system.
China
China has been making efforts to develop laser-directed energy weapons, Defense News reports that the government there uses handheld and vehicle-mounted laser systems.
Includes handheld destructive laser guns used for domestic law enforcement (police). It is reported that this laser is capable of injuring the skin and even the human body.
In addition, these lasers can also destroy small drones or blow up fuel tanks, according to Defense News.
India
This South Asian country is also competing to make laser weapons, this is known from the Indian Ministry of Defense's plans for the military in the late 2020s. The project includes a “Tactical High Energy Laser System” for the Army and Air Force.
They predict that this laser weapon will be based on a platform with high mobility. This laser system is designed to deal with electronic warfare, communication systems and non-communication systems/radars. In Defense News added, these Indian lasers should eventually be able to hit targets at a minimum of 20 kilometers, have target-locking capabilities and be capable of operating in an anti-satellite role from ground and air-based platforms.
All these plans are confirmed by the Defense Research and Development Organization of India (DRDO) which intends to build an anti-drone system. The DRDO is currently requesting $100 million from the Ministry of Defense for the 2021-2022 budget to manufacture high-power laser weapons.
The secret project, dubbed DURGA II, will provide the Indian Army with a 100-kilowatt lightweight unguided energy system, a service official told Defense News. Scientists at DRDO also say DURGA II will be integrated with land, sea and air based platforms.
United States
In February, the US Navy conducted the first test-firing of the Layered Laser Defense (LLD) system. "The first time using a high-energy laser weapon to defeat a target such as a subsonic cruise missile while flying," quotes The DRIVE.
Layered Defense Laser Weapon designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Its purpose is to serve as a multi-domain and multi-platform demonstration system. The Navy claims the LLD can counter unmanned aerial systems and fast attack vessels with high-powered lasers.
It also uses high-resolution telescopes to track incoming air threats, support battle identification and perform battle damage assessments of the targets involved.