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A LASER gun that shoots down drones and never runs out of ammunition has been fired from an armoured vehicle in a milestone for the Army.
It was fired from Wolfhound armoire troop carrier at drones in a test range in Radnor in Wales.
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The unnamed weapon is a miniature version of the UK’s world-beating Dragon Fire weapon that has blasted drones from ships.
They work by tracking fast moving objects and blasting a super hot beam of infra-red light.
The MoD said: “Unlike conventional munitions, laser weapons are virtually limitless in terms of ammunition supply, which means they could represent a cost-effective alternative to some current in-service weapons.”
Lasers could shield British troops from devastating drone strikes seen daily in Ukraine.
The UK is also developing weapons that can fry electric circuit boards and cause drones to drop out of the sky by blasting them with radio waves.
Warrant Officer Matthew Anderson, who running the trials, said the laser had a 100 per cent strike rate.
He added: “We’ve been testing a variety of distances, speeds and altitudes, one thing has remained – how quick a drone can be taken out.
“It’s definitely a capability that could be added to the arsenal of weapons that we use on the battlefield.”
Stephen Waller, head of laser weapons at the MoD’s research lab, said: “This is still an emerging technology, but the world has changed and we are seeing more use of drones in the battlespace. This requires a more cost-effective solution to protect our troops.
“Having the capability to track and eliminate moving drones will give UK troops a better operational advantage and these successful trials have demonstrated that we are well on our way to achieving this.”
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