The American company Northrop Grumman demonstrated its new development, commissioned by the US government - a powerful small-sized laser system, designated Phantom.
As indicated on the corporation's website, the laser power is 10 kW. The plant generating it is placed in a case with a capacity of about 339 liters, and its dimensions are close to a small refrigerator. The entire system weighs less than 90 kg, allowing it to be carried by two soldiers.
The developer explained that the new product, which is compact, lightweight and efficient, was created in the interests of a military customer:
High-energy laser solutions are designed for the fighters who defend our country at sea, on land and in the air.
In what kind of combat environment the Phantom will be used and against what targets is not explained. It is possible that the American defense industry is trying to develop effective ways to deal with drones, whose role on the battlefield increased significantly during the Ukrainian conflict.
Earlier reports were published about the destruction of the UAV by laser weapons. So, in 2019, Turkey announced the defeat in Libya in combat conditions of a large-sized (weight 4,2 tons) Chinese-made Wing Loong II strike and reconnaissance drone from a laser system with a gun power of 50 kW mounted on an armored car chassis.