Russia Develops Anti-Drone Laser Gun
As with past innovations, the new technology served as a force multiplier, which led to efforts to counter the threat. Ergo, laser weapons counter to drone warfare.
Before Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, few military planners likely saw the potential for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) on the battlefield. In addition to drones being used to target enemy vehicles with astonishing success, the Kremlin has carried out drone attacks on Ukraine since the early stages of the war.
At the same time, Kyiv has responded by launching drone strikes on Russian cities.
Though the damage to Russia’s infrastructure has been far less significant, the attacks have been a propaganda coup for Kyiv while highlighting that even the Russian capital isn’t safe during the ongoing conflict.
Russia’s Strategy for Countering Drones
Efforts to clip the flying nuisances have included everything from signal jammers to shotguns.
Yet, direct energy weapons (DEW) such as lasers have proven to be the most promising. The UK’s Royal Navy is working to field the large-scale Dragonfire anti-drone/missile lasers on its ships in the coming years, while designers in Russia have been exploring mobile options that include a truck-mounted system that can automatically detect, track, identify, and engage the airborne platforms.
Another effort is focused on something even smaller.
Russian state media outlet Tass reported that the first Russian “laser rifle” that could shoot down drones “at a distance of 500 meters” was exhibited at the recent Pan-Russian conference in St. Petersburg.
The rifle, which may be around the size of a Kalashnikov assault weapon, was developed to protect “civilian facilities” from drones.
A True Anti-Drone “Laser Gun?”
Though this isn’t the first such personal laser weapon, it highlights that direct energy weapons (DEW) may be the most effective option for countering small drones or swarms.
“According to our data, such systems are at the design stage in Russia and are not engaged in the zone of the special military operation. For the first time, we display the prototype of a laser rifle that destroys unmanned aerial vehicles. It was designed against FPV drones and operates at a distance of 500 meters.
The laser rifle physically affects a drone by the focused ytterbium laser emission technology. The laser beam destroys the drone body, propeller, engines, battery, etc.,” the company developing the rifle told Tass.
It also acknowledged that Kyiv’s forces have employed similar laser weapons.
Hurdles To Overcome the Drone Plague
Though the laser weapon displayed at the Pan-Russian conference was essentially the size of a modern assault rifle, questions remain, notably where its power source might be contained. From the image provided by Tass, it appears that the gun was mounted to a tripod and, instead of a magazine, supplied energy via a power cable.
This could be a throwback to the flamethrowers designed for the Soviet Red Army before the Second World War. The flame projectors were purposely made to look like regular rifles and later like light machine guns, while the early models featured a tank outfitted in what resembled an infantryman’s backpack.
The concept was to avoid having the flamethrower operator stand out from other troops. It isn’t clear whether that was the consideration, but it is more likely that it was understood that a power source for the weapon would be considerable. At best, it would be a pack worn on the operator’s back, but it could even require something more significant.
This explains why it has been years since much has been heard of the Chinese ZKZM-500, a 15mm caliber laser weapon first mentioned in a 2018 report from The South China Morning Post. It weighed around 6.6 pounds and, powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, had a range of more than half a mile.
The weapon cost was considered significant then, with rifles costing $15,000 or more.
However, given that small, low-cost, off-the-shelf drones have been employed to destroy tanks, while the anti-missile/anti-drone missiles and rockets used to counter the Houthi militants’ drones in the Red Sea cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, rifles should be seen as a far more affordable option.
It could still be a while before a “laser” gunner is part of an infantry squad, but the technology is getting closer as it moves from science fiction to reality.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites, with over 3,200 published pieces and over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author at [email protected].
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