Drones

An Adequate Solution for Small Killer Drones?

With terrorists, militant groups, and other opponents increasingly employing weaponized drones, the U.S. Army is becoming increasingly aware of the dangers drones pose. In a recent exercise, the service showed off one potential solution, a specially modified Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) with a laser.

The testbed vehicle, called the Mobile High Energy Laser (MEHEL), knocked out dozens of small quadcopters and remote control target planes. “We were skeptical at first when we were first briefed we’d be shooting down drones with lasers,” Army Captain Theo Kleinsorge, who commanded the MEHEL, told the service’s reporters afterwards. “We achieved a success rate well beyond what we expected we’d have and we are excited to see this go to the next step of the experiment, shooting beyond the horizon, and showing this technology can solve the problem.”