Belarus Tests Russian-Belarusian Shafran Anti-Drone Laser System

Belarus has tested a new Russian-Belarusian mobile laser system, Shafran, designed to counter unmanned aerial vehicles.

Footage of the test was published by the pro-military Telegram channel “Ya voenny. Bel” (iammilitary), showing a laser striking a quadcopter and the subsequent fall of the damaged drone.

The system is being developed by the Belarusian Scientific and Technical Center LEMT (lasers in ecology, medicine, technology) in cooperation with Russian defense enterprises.

The channel also shared images of the laser mounted on a three-axle truck chassis, along with a computer-generated render displaying the system’s components.

LEMT began joint development with two Russian research institutes in 2023 on a 100-kilowatt laser module intended to neutralize drones at extended ranges.

Earlier reports indicated the existence of a 30 kW system capable of autonomously detecting, identifying, and destroying aerial targets — even at varying speeds — at distances of up to 1.5 km.

“We have a joint project with two research institutes from Russia. We are creating a powerful and high-tech system — a laser to combat drones. A laser designed to combat drones at kilometer-range distances,” a LEMT representative told local media.

The Shafran system is built for mobile deployment, either mounted on vehicles or configured for container transport.

It is capable of independently tracking air targets and destroying them with a laser, regardless of the speed of the object.

Recently, Ukraine-based Fulltime Robotics recently announced the development of its own 1.5 kW SlimBeam laser system, designed to neutralize drones and other low-altitude threats at distances of up to 1 km.