Boeing has unveiled the latest version of its laser-powered anti-drone technology -- and it's the stuff of every UAV's nightmares.
The Compact Laser Weapons System is a portable, tripod-mounted device armed with a high-powered laser that can burn a hole in a quadcopter -- and send it crashing hopelessly to the ground -- in a matter of seconds.
Like its more lethal predecessor, the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (or aptly named HEL MD), the laser is operated with an Xbox controller and a laptop, and fits into four suitcase-sized boxes: perfectly handy for a bit of international drone destruction.
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.
Unlike its deadlier older counterpart, the technology won't be used on the battlefield. When Boeing puts the laser into action, reportedly in the next few years, it will largely be to shoot down drones over sensitive areas.
David DeYoung, Boeing's lasers and optical systems director, told WIRED US: "There will be times where it makes sense to use a missile and there will be times where it makes sense to use a laser."
But despite high ambitions for the laser weapon, similar versions have often struggled to live up to expectations -- either struggling to stay fully-powered for long periods or being disrupted by dust and fog.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
