The U.S. Army has developed a more efficient and cost-effective way to take down drones, and it involves a weapon that hasn't yet been used in combat.
For the first time, soldiers successfully shot down drones and incoming mortar shells with a vehicle-mounted laser last week, according to the AFP. However, the new-age gun won't likely be battle-ready until at least 2017, according to Terry Bauer, program manager for the weapon at the U.S. Army's Space and Missile Defense Command.
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Designed by Boeing and called the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, the army's latest innovation was built out of necessity, according to a statement. Bases located in dangerous parts of Iraq and Afghanistan are often assaulted by rockets, mortars and other airborne weapons. The laser is designed as a beam — currently no bigger than a quarter — that shoots from its turret and strikes incoming drones and explosives. Once the laser hits its target, it begins to dissolve the device.
The weapon can fire multiple beams at once, and the army says it performed well over a 23-day test period at a missile range in New Mexico, where it incinerated 90 mortars and several drones.
"Our first attempt to shoot down a UAV, it disabled it, and brought it down very quickly," program manager Terry Bauer told Mashable. "We were very happy with the system's performance."
While this is a step up for the army, it's old news for the U.S. Navy, which debuted ship-mounted lasers in April. Next year, the navy will outfit its destroyer USS Dewey with a $40 million laser gun that received a perfect score in a shooting test that targeted drones and fast boats.
For its part, the U.S. Army is also stepping up its game. While the laser used a 10-kilowatt beam in its most recent trial, the army plans to upgrade to 100 kilowatts in future runs. The more powerful the laser, the quicker it erases incoming threats.
What's more, Bauer said lasers are also much cheaper than conventional weapons. If the military has more of them, it can use fewer missiles and mortars. Lasers can reduce costs by removing logistical problems, too. If there is no need for trucks to deliver mortars to different bases, then those vehicles would no longer have a reason to burn costly fuel by driving around to keep soldiers well-supplied. Once a laser is stationed somewhere, it doesn't need more ammunition.
"We've got to keep the vehicle fueled up, and that's it," Bauer said. "There's no missile logistic trail that has to be brought with you."
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Image: Wikimedia Commons