What a fascinating turning point - after decades of “five years away” hype, it looks like directed energy is finally making the leap from PowerPoint slides to real-world deployment. The bit about neutralising 20 drones per minute is staggering, especially given how much havoc low-cost swarms have caused in Ukraine and the Middle East. And I thought the point about the system being non-ITAR controlled was really interesting - that freedom from US export red tape could well tip the scales in Europe’s favour. According to RAND, the cost-per-shot of laser weapons can be under £10 compared to hundreds of thousands for interceptor missiles (https://www.rand.org), so the economics are just as disruptive as the technology itself.
If you had to bet, which NATO country do you think has been bold enough to quietly become the first mover here?
What a fascinating turning point - after decades of “five years away” hype, it looks like directed energy is finally making the leap from PowerPoint slides to real-world deployment. The bit about neutralising 20 drones per minute is staggering, especially given how much havoc low-cost swarms have caused in Ukraine and the Middle East. And I thought the point about the system being non-ITAR controlled was really interesting - that freedom from US export red tape could well tip the scales in Europe’s favour. According to RAND, the cost-per-shot of laser weapons can be under £10 compared to hundreds of thousands for interceptor missiles (https://www.rand.org), so the economics are just as disruptive as the technology itself.
If you had to bet, which NATO country do you think has been bold enough to quietly become the first mover here?
ITAR is in the wrong hands. They’re either crazy or subversive.
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