Production for South Korean anti-air laser begins

SOUTH Korea is set to begin producing an laser weapon capable of shooting down small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and multicopters this year. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) previously awarded Hanwha Aerospace a US$72 million contract to produce the weapon, dubbed the Block-I system.

With development beginning in 2019, the country has spent US$63 million on the project, looking to enhance anti-drone measures following several North Korean drone intrusions across the border dividing both countries.

The laser weapon will be capable of defending against smaller UAVs at short distances by firing laser beams generated by fibre optics at targets. As long as electricity is supplied, the weapon can silently fire laser beams which cannot be seen by the naked eye , with each shot costing a little over US$1.40.

According to DAPA, the Republic of Korea will be the first known operator of a laser weapon if its plans to deploy at least one unit later this year materialises. The Block-I was said to have attained 100% success in downing targets in live-fire tests. DAPA’s release also said “future versions could be developed to take out much bigger targets, including aircraft and ballistic missiles, which would be a potential “game changer”, likely the Block-II with an improved output and range.-shp/adj/dl (Pix:DAPA)