Ukrainian military officials unveiled the new "Trident" laser air-defense weapon, which officials claimed can shoot down aircraft from over a mile away and may significantly impact the conflict.
Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, confirmed at the Europe Defence Industry conference this week that “It really works; it really exists” He also added, “We can state that today Ukraine is, if I’m not mistaken, the fifth country that can say it has a laser weapon", according to the Kyiv Post.
“We are already able to shoot down planes at an altitude of more than 2 kilometers ( about 1.2 miles) with this laser.”
The United Kingdom said it planned to ship a prototype of its DragonFire laser weapon earlier this year. - Photo - UK Ministry of Defence
Sukharevskyi did not give additional information about the weapon but mentioned that the laser is called the Tryzub - the Ukrainian term for a “trident” - the symbol on the national coat of arms.
The news outlet also reported Ukraine is developing a program for “queen-drones” - large carrier drones capable of deploying smaller strike drones, according to Sukharevskyi.
In April, former British Defence Minister Grant Shapps said that a prototype of the United Kingdom’s DragonFire laser, which is set to be unveiled in 2027, could be used in Ukraine to counter Russian drones.
According to The Telegraph, Shapps said at the time advanced laser weapons could have “huge ramifications” in the war, which has raged since February of 2021
“It didn’t have to be 100% perfect in order for Ukrainians perhaps to get their hands on it,” Shapps said at the time.
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This week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired his general Oleksandr Lutsenko, who was in charge of operations in the eastern region of the country, as Russia achieves its swiftest progress since the conflict began.
Last month, Zelensky replaced several other generals as part of “internal changes” he deemed necessary in response to Moscow’s advance and the deployment of North Korean troops on the battlefield.
Since the Nov. 5 election, Zelensky has shown a willingness to concede territory to Russia to bring an end to the war.
President-elect Donald Trump has also made ending the conflict a priority once he is back in the White House.
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