Rheinmetall Laser Successfully Tested In Counter-drone Test

The German defense company Rheinmetall recently conducted a successful counter-drone test with a prototype laser weapon that can shoot unwanted drones from the sky. The system was developed on behalf of the German Bundeswehr. The laser beam has a power of no less than 10 kW. During the test, drones were neutralized up to a distance of 1 km.

High energy laser

High-power lasers are often seen as a suitable candidate when it comes to physically neutralizing unwanted drones. The advantage is that a laser can be aimed very precisely and that the beam hits the target without delay. Thanks to the high energy intensity, any cameras on board the drone will be directly blinded and essential parts such as propellers will melt. The intense heat also causes batteries and/or electronics to fail.

The prototype laser gun from Rheinmetall is housed in a container, which consists of three compartments: laser, operator, and aiming system. The laser source comprises five 2 kW modules,…