The defence secretary said the laser could be used to take down Russian drones as early as 2027.

Hilariously full of cope article from an irrelevant former power.

According to Grant Shapps, the weapon could have "huge ramifications" for the conflict in Europe.

Press X to Doubt.

The laser was originally expected to be operational by 2032… ….the defence secretary told reporters while on a visit to Porton Down military research centre near Salisbury that he wanted to speed this up even further. "Let's say that it didn't have to be 100% perfect in order for Ukrainians perhaps to get their hands on it," he said.

Very funny assessment of the readiness and efficacy of this Wunderwaffe.

Any suggestion that UK lasers could be sent to Ukraine to take out Russian drones is optimistic.

Ahh the admission in the article that the whole notion of uk made laser weapons being used in Ukraine is just a nato fantasy.

In the same vain I’m looking forward to future BBC articles about how the uk is sending a battle ready gundam to Ukraine next week

  • WashedAnus [he/him]
    ·
    9 months ago

    They have prototypes, no fieldable weapons systems.

    https://www.dote.osd.mil/Annual-Reports/2023-Annual-Report/

    DOT&E, the Department of Defense's Director of Test & Evaluation, has no reports to congress on any laser weapon system as of the end of last FY. This means they are nowhere even close to fielding any lasers, and are still in extremely early phases of development.