CNN reported on December 18 that Mr. Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Ukrainian Army's Unmanned Aircraft Force, announced that the newly developed laser weapon is capable of shooting down targets within a range of more than 2km.
Mr. Sukharevskyi continued to share that the laser weapon is called Tryzub and the Ukrainian military will continue to work on developing its capabilities in the future. However, no other information was disclosed.
Also according to CNN, Tryzub means "trident", and is also the national symbol of Ukraine representing strength and unity.
Although information about Tryzub is limited, it is entirely possible for Ukraine to develop a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW), said Patrick Senft, an expert from the arms and ammunition research consultancy Armament Research Services.
The technology for laser weapons can be purchased and installed with existing systems, Mr. Senft argued, pointing out that the Laser Weapon System (LaWS) that the US Navy has been using since 2014 has a similar range.
The expert continued to share that laser directed energy weapons (LDEW) are particularly effective in dealing with slow and low-flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed by Russia.
Laser weapons are capable of focusing energy on a specific point to destroy vital components. This makes suicide drones, such as the Shahed-136 and the Russian Geran-2, which are made from materials susceptible to heat, easy targets, said expert Patrick Senft.
However, laser weapons will have difficulty destroying fast-moving or heat-resistant targets such as artillery shells or ballistic missiles.
Only a handful of countries are believed to possess laser weapons, including the US, China and Israel. The UK is also developing its own laser weapon system, called DragonFire, which is expected to be operational by 2027.
According to Reuters, former British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in April that DragonFire could be used in Ukraine to counter Russian UAVs.
