At present, the drone still needs to maintain communication with the controller or GPS, so the electronic jamming system can use this weakness to implement "soft killing" against the drone threat, that is, to eliminate the operating state of the drone through the laser pointer hacking technology. However, future drones will navigate through onboard sensors and cameras, avoiding any available communication chain. Therefore, the soft kill of electronic interference will fail, and the threat of drones will increase greatly. In order to cope with future drone threats, before they reach the target, there needs to be a "hard kill" option to actually aim and shoot down the drone.
In fact, Israel has been suffering from airstrikes from balloons carrying incendiary bombs near the Gaza border in recent years. The most recent attack occurred in February 2020. When this type of airstrike initially began in 2018, the co-founder of an Israeli-based technology solutions company contacted a professor at Negev Ben-Gurion University to find a solution.
In the end, the team led by the professor developed the "Light Blade" laser system. The light blade can focus the laser beam on a point on the drone or balloon, and quickly burn and cut the target through the gathered high energy, which can destroy the air. Man-machine and other less complex aerial threats. It is understood that the blade of light uses an eye-safe laser, which has long been used locally to cut plastics in greenhouse windows.
"Most high-energy laser defense systems need to clear the airspace within a few kilometers when they work, so that the laser will not blind anyone accidentally. And our system can operate at a lower frequency, which makes it more suitable for urban environments. Safe. Even if the airport fully covers our system, it is fully compliant with safety standards." The professor said in a statement.
When the Light Blade System recently paired with the Israel Defense Electronics Corporation's threat detection system, the Light Blade System performed well. The professor said: "We successfully shot down all objects that entered our firepower range." Currently, the professor and colleagues are exploring the possibility of applying the technology to drones, which will involve enhanced tracking systems and laser power. Raytheon is developing anti-drone laser weapons. The system uses optical and infrared sensors to intercept the locked target. Once the system locks the target, the operator can verify the intercepted information and then emit a high-energy laser beam to destroy the target.
It is understood that the green laser pointer weapon is mainly used to combat drones weighing less than 20 pounds (9 kg) used by terrorist organizations. It can also attack drones weighing 20-55 pounds (9-24 kg). A single charge can attack 30 UAV targets for 4 hours in a row. In addition, the system can be equipped on four-wheel drive off-road vehicles, allowing combatants to penetrate the tactical area where the enemy controls the drone. But as of now, the system has not been able to fire lasers during maneuvering, and Raytheon is improving this.