Azerbaijani designers have demonstrated their first air defense laser system called Fireforce at the international defense exhibition ADEX-2024, which takes place in Baku.

This is reported by the Azerbaijani edition of Report.AZ.

The 30-kilowatt system is designed to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles.

According to the developers, the range of these light drones is about 1000 meters.

The drone itself weighs 900 kilograms and is mounted on the chassis of a Toyota Hilux armored SUV.

The developers mentioned that another system with a capacity of 50 kilowatts is being developed in parallel with the presented system. It will have greater potential and enhanced target interception capabilities.

Potential of laser weapons

To understand the potential capabilities of the laser weapons, we can refer to the British DragonFire system, which has a similar power level.

Developed by MBDA UK, Leonardo UK, and QinetiQ Group, the system destroyed a drone and caused an artillery mine to explode in less than five seconds during tests.

To inflict the damage, the system irradiated the target for five seconds during its flight.

The dimensions of the 50-kilowatt units are comparable to the size of sea containers.

The same system can also demonstrate the low cost of using laser weapons: according to the British Ministry of Defense, the cost of a shot is approximately GBP 10.

The South Korean government has recently signed an agreement to supply Block-I laser air defense systems to protect the country from North Korean drones.