In modern warfare, the extensive use of drones and AI has made it difficult for traditional defense systems to counter the threats posed by small, fast-moving drones. To address this challenge, a leading weapons company in the United States has introduced the first high-power laser weapon that can be installed on drones, capable of melting missiles in the air and shooting down unmanned aircraft.
With modern conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war relying heavily on AI and drones for reconnaissance, counter-reconnaissance, and attack missions, the manufacturing and development of drones have become faster, cheaper, and more prevalent. On the other hand, traditional defense systems are costly, slow to react, and reliant on a large number of missiles and explosives, making it challenging to effectively deal with a swarm of small, fast-moving drones.
According to data from the US-based Institute for Science and International Security, from August 2024 to March 2025, Russia launched over 15,000 suicide drones manufactured by Iran, known as the “Shahed,” to target civilian infrastructure and residential areas in Ukraine. In response, Ukraine also developed and deployed a significant number of drones during the same period.
Various methods such as lasers, signal jammers, hacking, and AI can be used to counter drones, but each comes with limitations and fatal flaws. For instance, lasers have issues with high power consumption, long charging times, and limited range; signal jammers have a restricted jamming range; and hacking or interfering with enemy operating systems using AI requires a longer time frame.
In light of these challenges, the US military has dedicated substantial funds and technological resources to overcome limitations and flaws in these areas. Recently, the US defense industry company General Atomics unveiled a high-power laser weapon that can be mounted on drones during the “2025 Sea-Air-Space” weapons exhibition held in Maryland in April.
The company equipped the “Reaper” MQ-9B drone, which possesses autonomous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, with a high-power laser weapon. The laser weapon currently boasts an energy output of 25 kilowatts (kW), sufficient to assist the US military in shooting down large quantities of low-cost, disposable drones.
General Atomics stated that the laser weapon’s maximum power could reach 300 kW, enabling it to directly melt or destroy critical infrastructure, as well as shoot down enemy aircraft and missiles. Additionally, the laser can support both pulse and continuous energy emissions, adapting to various environments.
During the exhibition, the company showcased the effectiveness of the MQ-9B drone equipped with the laser weapon through a video demonstration. In the footage, a group of suicide drones similar to Iran’s “Shahed” drones were shown attacking a US Navy vessel, with the MQ-9B swiftly using the laser to shoot down these drones.
This approach holds the potential to save significant costs for the US military as drones can utilize lasers as a substitute for expensive, non-reusable missiles to neutralize small attack drones and cruise missiles. Even if the laser beam may not immediately destroy the target, it can continually inflict damage on enemy weapons.
Currently, the MQ-9B drone can fly for over 40 hours on a single charge, but the use of the laser may shorten mission durations, though the exact reduction in time is still unclear. The key limitation of this technology lies in the drone’s battery life, which may be insufficient to sustain the laser weapon after multiple uses.
While the US military has been focusing on developing laser weapons for years, they face constraints in technology, logistics, and financial aspects. For instance, the US Air Force’s Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) program aimed to develop technology to protect aircraft from incoming missile attacks but was terminated in 2024, without a prototype or flight tests to demonstrate progress.
Despite the cancellation of the SHiELD program, the deployment of high-power laser weapons on the MQ-9B drone marks a significant step by the US Department of Defense in the field of airborne High-Intensity Lasers (HEL). This development is expected to provide valuable insights for other ongoing research on new laser technologies. The Air Force Research Laboratory noted that significant progress has been made in preparing for aircraft-mounted HEL technology.