Ukraine Debuts New 'Slim Beam' Laser Weapon Turret
This is the country’s second new military laser weapon since the start of the Russian invasion.
Ukraine has debuted a new laser weapon to defend its forces against hostile unmanned aerial vehicles, its second such system this year.
Developed by Ukrainian defense group Fulltime Robotics and dubbed “Slim Beam,” the new 1.5 kilowatt laser turret was unveiled on May 15 by Brave1, the defense incubator that the Ukrainian government launched just over a year after Russia launched its invasion of the country in February 2022.
According to Fulltime Robotics, Slim Beam can destroy small (presumably Group 1 or Group 2) drones at distances of up to 800 meters, blind cameras and sensors at distances of up to 2 kilometers, and even neutralize explosives and engage in demining operations. The system can operate either autonomously or via remote control.
Slim Beam comes in two configurations: a compact stationary turret and an “SB Bot” radio-controlled unmanned ground vehicle outfitted with the system that follows a recent trend in defense contractors slapping laser weapons on robots. (Fulltime Robotics also offers a 1 kw LR-1000 laser rifle designed for sabotage and anti-infrastructure missions.)
“Invisible and silent, the Slim Beam laser swiftly and efficiently neutralizes drones, blinds optical systems, penetrates locks, and clears explosive debris obstacles; scaling will enable longer-range, higher-powered capabilities,” Fulltime Robotics CEO Ihor Andrusyk said in a statement.
Brave 1 CEO Natalia Kushnerska previously told Defense and Security Equipment International (DSEI) in late April that the tech incubator is on the hunt for additional ground-based laser weapon systems for air defense. (Brave1 did not respond to request for comment from Laser Wars.)
Brave1’s Slim Beam reveal came just over a month after the Ukrainian military released footage of its new “Tryzub” (or “Trident”) laser weapons system burning through a static ground target and disabling a drone during a demonstration at an undisclosed location.
The Ukrainian military also said its latest multi-role unmanned surface vessel, known as the “Alligator-9,” can be outfitted with a maritime version of the Tryzub, although imagery of the new drone boats released in April does not show a laser weapon array on the prototype watercraft.
Ukraine’s rapid development of laser weapons reflect both necessity and innovation in the face of relentless drone warfare. With thousands of weaponized drones crowding the skies over the battlefield daily, traditional kinetic countermeasures have increasingly proven too costly, too slow, or too scarce. Laser systems like the Slim Beam offer a compelling alternative: cheap per-shot cost, silent engagement, and nearly instantaneous response times.
What’s particularly notable is Ukraine’s emphasis on modular, mobile, and autonomous configurations. Mounting lasers on small ground robots and potentially maritime platforms aligns with a broader global shift toward unmanned and AI-enabled combat systems. The battlefield effectiveness of such systems, if proven in combat, could reshape how militaries think about layered air defenses in future conflicts.
If the Slim Beam and Tryzub systems live up to their promise, they may signal a new paradigm where directed energy weapons transition from science fiction to frontline standard — and faster than many expected.