British Army successfully tests new drone-destroying laser

The British Army has fired a laser weapon from an armored vehicle for the first time in a successful test which saw the “groundbreaking technology” destroy flying drones, Report informs via The Independent.

The laser was mounted on a vehicle known as a Wolfhound and soldiers were able to track and down hovering targets at Radnor Range in mid-Wales, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The weapon works by directing an intense beam of infrared light towards its target, using sensors and tracking systems to lock on to and eliminate them.

The MoD said laser weapons could be a cost-effective alternative to some current weaponry because they are “virtually limitless” in terms of ammunition supply.

Warrant officer Matthew Anderson, trials manager for the British Army’s Mounted Close Combat Trials and Development Group, said: “Every engagement we’ve done has removed a drone from the sky.