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theonegunslinger · 2025-04-09T20:36:48+00:00

Basically, no laser weapons are not at the point where they can shoot down missiles, if you ask this question in a scientific or weapons subreddit I am sure someone can explain atmospheric limitations, targeting issues and power issues

HistoricalLadder7191 · 2025-04-09T21:48:22+00:00

Today lasers can shoot down slow moving low altitude targets, like recon drones, and suicide drones. Also low altitude strike drones. Maybe, most advanced, capable to shoot sub sonic cruise missiles, and medium to high altitude drones or airplanes, but such capability is kept in secret. For what more or less known we are talking about tens of kilowatts irradience, at 2-3 km direct range targeting capability, for systems that are definitely in use.. That's quite enough against cheep, low performance systems used for saturation attacks, but several orders of magnitude less then required to intercept super sonic plane, or cruise missile. And even short range ballistic missiles interception will require even more powerful systems. Laser ICBM interception would require entire power plants dedicated to them, and support systems size of sity block. It is much cheeper, at least with current tech level, to build and produce "classical" system for such purpose, like American THAAD.

lazyubertoad · 2025-04-09T20:40:14+00:00

This is not really a question for this sub.

Lasers are not wunderwaffe. Lasers are just too weak and too bulky. Laser intensity falls off as a square of distance. You need 4x more powerful laser to shoot 2x as far. I think there were tests where a laser that can shoot a cruise missile (which is like 5 times slower than an ICBM) was mounted on a nuclear powered carrier. ICBMs can withstand more heat and are way faster. And I think the range of that laser was no more than 20 miles. While Patriot has it like 100+. So you need something like 8x more powerful than that. About 100x more powerful to be really competing.

TenchuReddit · 2025-04-09T20:53:31+00:00

I read about a laser tested in Ukraine that can shoot down drones. To me, that's a game-changer on the order of HIMARS.

As for lasers that shoot down missiles, that has been researched for decades ever since Ronald Reagan introduced the concept of SDI, a.k.a. "Star Wars." Fast-forward to today, and we are no closer to intercepting either cruise missiles or ballistic missiles with lasers than before.

MGBGTLE · 2025-04-09T22:09:31+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DragonFire_(weapon)

Playful_Cherry8117 · 2025-04-10T22:00:00+00:00

There are some misconceptions about laser weapons. At its core a laser is a special form of light, so it has the same characteristics as light. Lasers do not go in a perfect cylindrical shape to infinity, it is more of a cone shape, and it can travel a long distance while keeping it's shape. Much better than normal light. For instance a normal laser you can buy, after a 1 km, it's surface are will be about half a metre. This is why laser weapons tend to work in the range of 2-3 km. You can make a near perfect cylindrical shape, for much greater distances, but you need near infinity energy source. Also you can only use laser weapons in ideal condition, any rain or fog makes it useless, light particles get deflected/retracted.

Laser weapons work by heating up the object, but is not instant. This is why the only evidence of this weapons we see are either photos as the drone is getting destroyed and ends of the video. And the laser needs to stay on that spot long enough to burn the material.

To defend against lasers, you either need material that can absorb heat well, or a very reflective surface.

They can only work on drones due to their slow speed and light material.

Btw Russia has its own laser weapon system, however they stopped working on it as it was not a practical weapon, but this was before the war.

Fit-Height-6956 · 2025-04-11T10:39:47+00:00

> shoot down incoming nuclear ICBMs

They maybe could in space, but I still doubt it. Look at Israeli laser weapon. It needs to lase target(like a drone, or slower missle) for a quite long time. Like maybe less than a minute. ICBMs in final stage are like mach 20, they are heat resistant, I doubt any laser would ever made would be enough.

Even the most advanced counter-missles are like prototypes at this point. If I recall correctly US could shot down whole 2% of Russians ICBM in case of full Russian attack. Only systems to do so would be Thaads and AEGIS with some missles. Patriot is useless for ICBMs, theoretically could try shoot MRBM.

Europe needs atomics. That's how you ensure you won't be destroyed.

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Rusty5th · 2025-04-09T23:39:30+00:00

Ukraine doesn't have the money or man power to fuck with experimental technology, they legitimately don't have the resources to mess with anything besides bodies.

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Wednesday, April 09, 2025

How are Ukrainians and their allies coming along on developing laser weapons that can shoot missiles out of the sky?

How are Ukrainians and their allies coming along on developing laser weapons that can shoot missiles out of the sky?

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