Drone Defense?

[Jolly]

Something new...
https://www.armytimes.com/battlefield-tech/directed-energy/2024/03/22/us-testing-stryker-mounted-lasers-in-iraq-amid-middle-east-drone-boom/

[Copper]

It seems like lasers would be better than traditional weapons for the environment.

Another promise kept by Mr. Biden.

[Axtremus]

Laser good on drone for lack of recoil.
Laser probably bad in desert for sand/dust in the air. :man-shrugging:

[Jolly]

My concern would be time on target.

[kluurs]

I keep thinking about the Chinese ariel displays of small drones. If they can be programmed to move around and do acrobatic displays in the sky, hundreds can be programmed to carry explosives to attack anything from airfields, aircraft carriers, petroleum refineries, etc. Even if defenses take out 80% of the hundreds in flight - the ones that get through can cause mayhem.

[Copper]

The problem, for now, is a limited capacity. Those Chinese display drones are tiny with limited duration.

Of course they will grow.

So will we.

It took a long time to figure out that we no longer needed battleships. But it happened.

[Axtremus]

How much stored energy would a drone need to carry with it to generate laser beams with sufficient destructive power in any given combat scenario? That amount of energy is probably also enough to significantly extend the drone's range.