Boeing has been researching ways to disable drones with lasers for a while now, and this week, the defense contractor released new footage (below) of its Compact Laser Weapons System: a portable, tripod-mounted device that can burn a hole in a UAV or a quadcopter in seconds.
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The primary advantage that lasers have against other anti-drone technology-nets carried by another drone, radio jammers, and even shotguns are all candidates in this burgeoning field-is its range.
Speaking with WIRED, David DeYoung, Boeing’s director of Laser & Electro-Optical Systems, described the project by saying “This represents a low-cost way to deal with the threat,” The cannon’s operational cost is in-fact relatively low.
The system is cheap to use and, as long as it has enough energy to power it, features an unlimited magazine, which means a lot of potential drones sent hurtling from the sky. “There will be instances when missiles make sense”. The Boeing weapon uses a safeguard to make sure there is a clear line of sight both to and beyond the target.
One of the drawbacks of using lasers, DeYoung said, is that light, unlike a missile, keeps going.
Boeing is one of many companies working to develop high powered lasers that can be used in military or defence scenarios.
The laser is formed of four parts, a water chiller, battery power supply, a 2 kilowatt fibre laser and a beam director that is can be transported in small black boxes the size of a standard handheld suitcase. Most notably, drone hobbyists have been hindering firefighting efforts in California by jerks flying their quadcopters too close to the flames.
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Boeing’s main customer is the US military. The past past few years, they’ve found a new target: drones. The previous generation of the laser system took about two years to develop.
