‘Speed of light': Australian company secures ‘groundbreaking' $125m order for high power anti-drone weapon

News.com.au

a day ago

An Australian technology company has secured a 'groundbreaking' $125 million deal with a European country for a 'high energy laser weapon system' designed to shoot down over a dozen drones within a minute.
Electro Optic Systems (EOS) signed a contract with a European NATO Member State – the name of which has not been disclosed – to deliver the 100-kilowatt anit-drone weapon between 2025-2028.
'The new laser counter-drone capability was developed by EOS to address the urgent market need and emerging strategic requirement to defend against drone swarm attacks at an economical cost,' EOS said in a statement on its website.
'This is the world's first export order for a 100-kilowatt class laser defence system.'
The company said the order, which is valued at €71.4 million (or about $A125 million), will be fulfilled in Singapore, where EOS has a laser innovation centre.
'EOS is already an established global leader in counter-drone capability using kinetic weapons and missiles to bring down drones. The high-power laser builds on these core competencies and substantially extends them.'
The system – which is mobile and can work on a truck – operates 'at the speed of light' and can shoot down as many as twenty drones in a minute, Dr Andreas Schwer, Chief Executive Officer of Electro Optic Systems told news.com.au.
'The laser can hit a target almost instantly … unlike a bullet which takes a second to get there,' Dr Schwer said.
He said the system works by amplifying lasers to high power levels.
'(It) then combines multiple laser beams together,' he explained.
'It tracks targets very accurately – this is critical – and keeps the laser beam on the target … The light energy typically degrades the drone target in 1-2 seconds.'
While missiles generally have a longer range, the high-power laser system 'can shoot down many more targets' at a cheaper cost within a two to five kilometre range.
'Missile systems cost $0.5m – $2.0m per shot fired,' Dr Schwer said.
'The laser system costs less than 10 cents per shot.'
'Lasers can shoot directly upwards, which ballistics (bullets and missiles) often cannot do,' he added.
With drones becoming increasingly more common in modern warfare and swarms posing a 'real threat', Dr Schwer said militaries will need to employ a 'layered solution', including laser systems, rocket systems and longer-range missiles to protect their valuable assets.
'Drones are a big threat both in military and civil domains,' he said.
'Because drones get cheaper every year, everyone is using them and many valuable assets are very vulnerable.'
He noted other countries are trying to develop laser weapon technology, 'but it is very complex'.
'This is the first very international supply contract of this size in the laser weapon industry – a groundbreaking deal for our industry and for EOS,' he said in a video on the company's website.
Looking to the future, Dr Schwer said laser weapons will continue to play a role on the battlefield, becoming more powerful and portable over time.
Going forward, the company is looking to expand its 50 to 100 kilowatt family and develop systems towards the 150 kilowatt class to meet future needs.
'We are also looking to develop naval variants of our models, giving the critical gap in the market for effective counter-drone solutions.'
Russia tests laser defences
It comes as Russia last month conducted large-scale tests of new laser systems to defend against drones – which both Ukraine and Russia have deployed during the nations' three year war.
'These technologies will form one of the key elements of the universal air defense system President Vladimir Putin recently called for,' the Board of the Military-Industrial Complex said in a statement.
'The test results will be used to refine existing models and create systems capable of providing reliable protection against modern air attack weapons.'
Meanwhile, Ukraine last year announced it had developed its own laser weapon which can target and down aircraft at altitudes exceeding two kilometres.
Speaking at the 'European Defense Industry: Prospects for Cooperation with the Ukrainian Defense Industry' conference in December, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi said the country's military proudly declared Tryzub (trident) 'laser is real and operational', adding that efforts were underway to scale up its capabilities against Russia.
Colonel Sukharevskyi also introduced the concept of 'mother drones' or 'queen drones' — unmanned aerial systems capable of carrying two FPV (first-person view) light attack drones during his address.
According to the Kyiv Independent, the announcement marked a significant leap in Ukraine's military innovation.