Given the potential for unaccountable, untraceable attacks with drones, it isn’t surprising that science is developing ways of blowing them out of the sky.
The HEL MD’s laser weapon is accurate enough to target specific sections of an unmanned aerial vehicle, disabling or destroying it depending on where it fires its beam. Because the beam travels at the speed of light, it effectively reaches its target instantaneously—there’s no outmaneuvering it.
Despite such precision, the weapon is compact enough to be carried in four suitcases by two soldiers. [Source: Daily Dot]
So it sounds like it doesn’t blow up the drone (that would take substantially more energy) but rather targets a critical part. Like shooting the gas tank of a car, I guess. The video at Boeing’s site gives slightly more info.
Won’t the response from drone makers be to hide/disguise/shield the critical parts? Or just put them on the one side of the drone? That would give them a 50/50 chance of survival.
