No you are right. I’ve been liberal with my phrasing.
Chinese laser weapon development
- Thread starter maozedong
- Start date
No you are right. I’ve been liberal with my phrasing.
is Russians deliberately planted this story to throw dirt on Silent Hunter, maybe so they can negotiate for a better price for them. That's why it's so different from earlier Saudi report of its successful and why it has crazy numbers like it took 30 minutes of continuous laser fire to bring down a drone, because they don't know jack about laser.
Alternatively and maybe the more likely reason: Ukrainians are trying to dissuade Russians from buying them, :
A combat proven system which has previously demonstrated its ability to protect Saudi refineries from Houthi drones, can you think of another customer at the moment who might be interested?
Here's the article again:
Just in case you need to confirm it's the Editor-in-Chief himself who wrote it.
By the way, the very same Defence Blog themselves reported on the great success Saudi was having with this system month earlier:
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Some people are trying to cope by saying that the 15-30 minutes is the time between detection and interception and not the total time of engagement by laser. This is just as stupid since the effective range of the Silent Hunter is around 4KM. Unless the suicide drone is just circling the site and not engaging for some reason, during a huge dust storm on top of that, there is no way it could have taken that long. A lot of FPV drones can’t even loiter for more than half an hour.
LY-1's ground vehicle using wheel eMotor from this Jiangsu company. EREV is a great tech for power generation & energy retention
broadsword
Brigadier
If LY-1's power is 300kw, it provides relief. The Australian company Electro Optic Systems (EOS)'s Apollo is 150kw.
For comparison:
For comparison:
‘World’s cheapest shot’ laser weapon kills 50 drones a minute with 150kW beam
Packaged inside a 20-foot ISO container, the system is designed for mobility and rapid relocation.
Updated: Sep 08, 2025 07:43 AM EST
New 150kW laser zaps 50 drones a minute at ‘world’s cheapest’ cost.
Leading Australian technology company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has unveiled the identity of its high-energy laser weapon on Monday, naming it “Apollo,” ahead of its debut at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London to be held from September 9 to 12.
The announcement follows EOS’s August deal with a European NATO member for the world’s first export contract of a 100-kilowatt-class high-energy laser weapon, a milestone for the company and the directed energy sector.
Scalable to 150 kW, Apollo is designed to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS), particularly the increasing use of small drones for surveillance and attack missions.
‘World’s cheapest shot’ to kill drones
According to EOS, the system can destroy 20 to 50 drones per minute. Its high slew rate, less than 1.5 seconds for a 60-degree shift, allows rapid retargeting, while its continuous power supply enables unlimited engagements when connected to external electrical sources.
Even when isolated, Apollo can carry out more than 200 stored “kills.” The company highlighted the cost-effectiveness of laser weapons compared to traditional missile-based defenses.
“Swarm drone attack is one of the most dangerous evolutions in modern conflict,” EOS said in a statement.
“For every million dollars spent on attacking someone, defenders may spend 50 times more to stop it. Unless defenses are carefully engineered, the economics of conflict can bankrupt you before they kill you.”
High-energy lasers, EOS argued, offer a solution by delivering precision, low-cost engagements against drones.
Unlike missiles costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, a laser shot is limited only by the cost of power.
Apollo “can shoot down drones at a lower cost than almost anything else on the market, much cheaper than a $200,000 missile,” EOS said.
From dazzlers to high-energy laser beams
EOS has worked with directed energy systems for over four decades, steadily advancing from optical technologies to fieldable laser weapons.
In October 2023, the company introduced a “laser dazzler,” a non-lethal system mounted on its Slinger remote weapon station, capable of blinding drone sensors.
Apollo is introduced as the next step. Scalable up to 150 kW, the laser is designed to defeat Group 1–3 drones, small to medium-sized systems that pose the most immediate threat to forward-deployed forces and critical infrastructure.
Apollo can also turn off sensors on larger drones beyond 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), disrupting swarm coordination and cutting off targeting data to loitering munitions.
Apollo delivers 360-degree coverage, including vertical engagements. Its operational envelope includes hard kills against drones at ranges between 164 feet (50 meters) and 1.86 miles (3 kilometers), and optical sensor denial at up to 9.32 miles (15 kilometers).
Packaged inside a 20-foot ISO container, the system is designed for mobility and rapid relocation.
Crews can deploy Apollo in under two hours, making it suitable for fixed-site defense and expeditionary operations. The containerized system also supports camouflage and concealment in contested environments.
Apollo can be operated as a stand-alone defense platform or integrated into a layered system alongside kinetic effectors such as the Slinger and missile-based interceptors.
Critically, it is built to interface with NATO-standard command-and-control (C2) and integrated air defense systems (IADS), easing adoption by alliance members.
Life-saving technology
Dr. Andreas Schwer, EOS Group CEO, said Apollo addresses an urgent operational requirement as drone warfare globally.
“High-energy laser weapons are moving from theory to necessity,” Schwer said.
“There is strong international interest in these systems, and it is increasingly clear they will play a central role in counter-drone defense. Apollo is ITAR-free, fully controlled by EOS, and ready for partners to adopt, localize, and sustain as their own.”
EOS describes Apollo as “life-saving technology,” designed to offer militaries an affordable solution to defend infrastructure, forces, and populations from mass drone attacks.
By using directed energy of expensive interceptors, Apollo aims to reverse the unfavorable cost curve of counter-drone warfare.
The NATO export order, announced in August, represented the first international sale of a 100-kW class laser weapon, signaling that high-energy lasers are now moving into operational service.
While EOS has not disclosed the customer, the sale highlights growing European demand for next-generation air defense solutions amid concerns over drone and missile threats in Ukraine and beyond.
EOS is among only a handful of companies with the ability to deliver field-ready laser weapons in the 50–100 kW class, and it plans to scale its systems further.
Company officials said Apollo’s modular design gives it an advantage over competitors by allowing rapid customization to meet user requirements.
At DSEI UK, EOS will display Apollo as part of Team Defence Australia to attract additional international partners.
The company directed-energy systems like Apollo will form the backbone of future air defense architectures, particularly against swarming UAS tactics.