UK Ministry of Defense releases footage of laser directed energy weapon

Video of laser weapon released

The British Ministry of Defense has released footage of a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW). Laser weapons have not been publicized much in the past, but I wonder if there is a reason why they decided to release them now.

Regarding laser weapons, there was a recent video of the situation in Palestine in which laser-like artillery fire shot down Hamas missiles one after another at Israel's Iron Dome, but there was no official report that laser weapons were used.

Why are we developing laser weapons?

Each country works on developing laser weapons, but this is because it has various advantages on the battlefield. ・High speed/immediacy: Since it uses a high-energy laser, it can reach the target in an instant, and if the accuracy is high, it can destroy the target in a few seconds. ・High precision: Laser light is in phase, so interference occurs. It has extremely high sensitivity and can concentrate on one small point. ・Low cost: It costs only approximately 1-2 USD to irradiate one shot. ・Stealth: There is no noise or flame when firing, so it is difficult to be detected by the enemy.

What about the cost?

The laser weapon developed by the UK is currently extremely expensive at approximately 1.4 trillion USD. However, as mentioned earlier, one shot costs only a few hundred yen. Assuming operation and maintenance costs are the same, It costs much less than current anti-aircraft weapons.

Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun: Used one costs about approximately 2,000 USD, and the 35mm cannon used is approximately 100-200 USD per shot (reference value)

Reference: Patriot missile: approximately 3,500 USD per missile

The development of these laser weapons, which demonstrate outstanding performance in anti-aircraft defense capabilities and their low running costs, will continue to accelerate in the future, and the day when each country will deploy them is likely to come soon.