South Korea is beginning the mass production of a low-cost laser weapon that has successfully shot down small drones during testing, the country’s key arms agency said Thursday.
The laser weapon, called Block-I, “can precisely strike small unmanned aerial vehicles and multicopters at close range,” a news release from South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said.
The release did not give a cost for the weapon, but said each shot fired would only cost about $1.50.
“It is invisible and noiseless, does not require separate ammunition and can be operated only when electricity is supplied,” the DAPA release said.
Militaries have typically responded by trying to take out low-cost drones with defensive systems that cost tens of thousands of dollars per strike.
The Korea Institute for Defense Analyses led the system development with participation from Hanwha Aerospace, it said.
The agency said South Korea is the first country to publicly acknowledge it will deploy a mass-produced laser weapon. »
