German frigate Sachsen shot down several drones with a laser
BERLIN ($1=1.00 Euro) — Germany already has a high-energy laser weapon, too. A test held on August 30 showed the progress of MBDA and Rheinmetall, the creators of the project and its developers. Several drones were shot down after the frigate Sachsen was the receiver of the German laser.
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This is a historic event, said Daniel Gruber, project manager for MBDA Deutschland’s naval demonstrator, and Dr. Markus Jung, head of laser weapon development at Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH.
In recent months, Germany’s defense ministry has conducted several tests. In addition to the one on August 30, there were also tests in July. Germany announced its progress in the development of high-energy lasers two days ago, through official press releases from the two companies. The tests were conducted in the Baltic Sea near the main Putlos test site.
The new weapon opens up new possibilities for the German navy. Israel and the US have already demonstrated their capabilities in this area of defense. Now it is Germany’s turn to show the result of the joint work between MBDA and Rheinmetall. The German laser is already taking down drones at close range. In the future, experts predict that the system will deal with missiles approaching motorboats and mortar shells.
The latter munition is significant because it means Berlin will also be developing a land-based version of the laser. This will give new productivity and efficiency to the country’s air defense.
In 2023, Berlin is preparing for new tests. Sources claim that new scenarios will be developed for the use of the laser weapon.
The first country to demonstrate the high performance and effectiveness of its laser weapon was Israel. In the Negev desert, the Israelis demonstrated precisely the impeccable accuracy and performance of their Iron Beam system. The Israeli laser was able to successfully shoot down a drone, a missile, an artillery shell, and a mortar shell.
Using a laser in a country’s air defense guarantees lower costs. Germany is on track to significantly minimize air defense costs if it can develop a land-based version and integrate it into its defense structure. A laser can shoot down an aerial target for only a few tens of euros, while a missile used for interception and destruction costs tens or hundreds of thousands of euros.
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