Drones are everywhere these days — straying onto the White House lawn and disrupting wildfire operations.
Now, Boeing has developed a new laser technology designed to wipe out drones — especially those that could cause threats to military personnel.
“Silent, invisible and precise—Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapons System harnesses directed energy on its targets,” Boeing noted in a press release announcing the technology after a test at Point Mugu, Calif.
The company said that the system is portable, and can be set up in just a few minutes. Future versions may allow for the laser cannon, which shoots a 2-kilowatt laser, to be added to a moving vehicle or ship.
“Think of it like a welding torch, but being put on target from many hundreds of meters away,” said Boeing engineer in a video describing the technology.
Wired got a first-hand look at the laser technology during tests in New Mexico, describing the system as looking like “an overgrown camera, swiveling around on a tripod.” Reporter Jordan Golsan adds that the laser system is “more like burning ants with a really, really expensive magnifying glass than obliterating Alderaan.”
Amazingly, Wired notes that the drone killer is “controlled with a standard Xbox 360 controller” and “a laptop with custom targeting software.”
