Ukraine develops low-cost laser air defence system Sunray – The Atlantic

Ukrainian engineers have developed and successfully tested a new laser-based air defence system known as Sunray, capable of effectively destroying Russian drones while costing significantly less than comparable Western systems.

Source: The Atlantic

Details: According to journalist Simon Shuster, who attended the tests, the Sunray system resembles an amateur telescope fitted with cameras and can be mounted on the roof of an ordinary pickup. The weapon operates silently and emits no visible light. During the demonstration, the laser set a drone on fire within seconds, causing it to fall to the ground.

The developers said the system had been created over roughly two years at a cost of several million dollars. The expected price of a single unit is estimated at a few hundred thousand dollars. By comparison, the Helios laser system developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy was produced under a US$150 million contract.

For security reasons, the name of the company behind the development is not disclosed in the article.

In an interview, Pavlo Yelizarov, Deputy Commander of Ukraine's Air Force, stressed the need to conserve expensive Western missiles, which are often used to down relatively cheap drones. Comparing the use of Western missiles against Russian drones, he said: "Sure, you can use a Bentley to haul potatoes. But it's probably not the smartest way to do that job."

Quote from Yelizarov: "Many American companies are driven by money. For them, it's a job. They do it. They get paid. We have another component at play: the need to survive. That's why we are moving faster."

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