Laser Wars

Laser Wars

That Time the Soviet Union Allegedly Used Lasers to Blind Mujahideen Fighters in Afghanistan

US intelligence agencies suspected Moscow was already sending directed energy weapons into battle.

Jared Keller's avatar
Jared Keller
Jan 05, 2026
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A prototype 1K11 Stilet mobile laser weapon system developed by the Soviet Union in 1982. (Russian Ministry of Defense)

The United States may lead the world in the development of military laser weapons for air defense,1 but Russia can also claim a grim distinction: pioneering their real-world combat use as blinding antipersonnel weapons during the Cold Wa…

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