An Australian company will be exporting its 100-kilowatt high-power laser weapon system to a European NATO member state to counter the rising threat of drones, marking the first export of such a laser defense system.
Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited announced in a press release that they secured this significant contract worth €71.4 million and that it would include protection, spare parts, training, documentation, and be fulfilled between 2025 and 2028. Manufacturing will take place at the company’s facility in Singapore.
Already known for their kinetic counter-drone technology, this laser-based solution extends EOS’s established capabilities. The laser system includes advanced features like algorithms, radar, threat detection, target acquisition systems, and beam locking systems. It underwent three years of field testing and numerous firing trials to ensure that the laser system could operate effectively in various conditions and environments.
According to a report in Interesting Engineering, the mobile truck-based system can neutralize up to 20 drones per minute.
EOS’s focus is on technology for weapon systems optimization and integration, including next-generation remote weapon systems, vehicle turrets, and high-energy laser weapons. It also focuses on space systems that applies EOS-developed optical sensors to detect, track, and characterize objects in space, with capabilities in space control.
“This is the world’s first export order for a 100-kilowatt class laser defence system,” said Dr Andreas Schwer, CEO of EOS, in a video statement. “Our laser weapon system delivers unmatched speed and accuracy, with each shot costing less than ten cents. In today’s uncertain geopolitical climate, the ability to instantly detect and defeat aerial threats is mission-critical.”
Developing laser technology
Driven by the pressing need to counter increasingly available weaponry like drones, governments and militaries around the world have been working to develop and deploy high-power laser technology. Hostile forces are flooding battlefields with low-cost but sometimes highly precise weapons, which, despite their affordability, can inflict significant damage.
The growing proliferation of such weapons, including UAV and guided munitions, pose a meaningful threat, necessitating advanced defenses like high-power laser systems to neutralize them before they can cause harm.
Unlike most traditional kinetic weapons that can cost millions of dollars, laser interception systems can cost less than a dollar per shot. The systems are aimed to detect, engage and defeat threats within seconds, delivering a highly accurate strike as soon as the threat is identified. This is meant to allow for rapid response to provide a higher level of protection for both military and civilian targets.
In May, the IDF revealed that it had successfully shot down dozens of Hezbollah drones that had infiltrated Israel using the Iron Beam laser system. The IDF said that this was part of wider efforts which shot down close to 1,000 drones when taking into account all of the various fronts from which hostile actors have tried to attack Israel, including: Lebanon, Gaza, Iran, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq.
Yonah Bob contributed to the report