Military lasers blast drones from sky in groundbreaking test

By Dean Murray

The US Army has conducted live-fire tests of laser weapons.

Troops at Fort Sill in Oklahoma used armored transport-mounted directed energy (DE) to blast drones from the sky.

The "first of its kind" exercise pitted prototype DE weapons, including a Directed Energy Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) system, against a swarm of unmanned aircraft systems.

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The Army's pursuit of DE weapons for air defense stretches back decades, initially focused on strategic missile defense. However, the recent proliferation of inexpensive and readily available drones has shifted the focus to short-range air defense, where lasers and high-powered microwaves offer a potentially game-changing advantage.

The US Army said: "This exercise provided a real-world test of the complementary nature of DE and kinetic systems, exploring how they can work together to create a more robust and resilient defense."

Col. Steven D. Gutierrez, RCCTO Project Manager for Directed Energy, emphasised the groundbreaking nature of the exercise. “This live-fire exercise is the first of its kind.

"Now that we have delivered directed energy capabilities to the Army, we are developing and maturing the domains of policy, doctrine, organisation, training, and personnel to employ the capability optimally."

A US Army spokesperson said: "This exercise represents a crucial step forward, paving the way for a more agile and lethal force ready to meet the evolving challenges of modern warfare."