Ukraine unveils laser weapon capable of downing aircraft
Photo: Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Getty Images)
Ukraine has a laser weapon Tryzub, capable of shooting down aircraft at altitudes exceeding 2 kilometers, stated Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, according to Interfax-Ukraine.
"Ukraine is now the fifth country to have such laser technology. Currently, we can down aircraft at over 2 km altitude using this laser," Sukharevskyi stated.
According to him, the Unmanned Systems Forces is currently on its way to scale up and enhance the laser system.
“It really works, it really exists,” he emphasized.
Sukharevskyi also highlighted progress in Ukraine's development of "mother drones" capable of carrying lightweight strike drones.
"Today, we use so-called mother drones, FPV carriers, with a range of of more than 70 km. They carry 2 FPVs and actually act as a repeater and hit deep enemy targets. In my opinion, this is a real breakthrough," he noted.
Scaling this project is among the most promising initiatives within his work, Sukharevskyi added.
Unmanned Systems Forces
In February, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tasked the government and General Staff with establishing a separate Unmanned Systems Forces within Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defense explained why a new type of troops is important. By summer, Colonel Sukharevskyi was appointed to lead this new branch.
Zelenskyy recently announced that Ukraine used more drones than Russia in July. Shortly before that, he said that Ukraine plans to increase the production of long-range drones.
