Ukraine leads the way on battlefield use of directed energy weapons
DragonFire, a laser-based DEW, is scheduled to be deployed in 2027 by the UK. (Photo: Crown copyright)
Increased drone use in Ukraine and in Middle Eastern conflicts has created a strong impetus to develop laser and radio-frequency firepower as exploration of direct-energy technology intensifies.
Ukraine’s uncrewed systems forces commander Vadym Sukharevskyi has revealed that laser-based directed energy weapons (DEWs) have been used against Russian targets. The battlefield deployment of the technology comes as a ground-breaking development.
In the Ukraine war, Iranian-supplied Shahed drones have frequently been used by Russia to destroy Kyiv's defences. That has led Ukraine to test out its own homemade DEW named Tryzub, or Trident.
Tryzub creates a powerful beam of energy that can pinpoint small moving targets, such as drones, alongside missiles and rockets.
Laser DEWs can engage targets at the speed of light (in an atmosphere), and the beams can
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