Australia Purchase New Laser Weapon that Shoots Down 50 Drones in One Charge
Defense News ,Australia :- The Australian Defence Force (ADF) recently bought a powerful laser weapon called the Fractl:2. It's said that this weapon can take down more than 50 drones with just one charge.
What's special about this weapon is that it's portable and can generate a lot of power. The company that made it, AIM Defence, claims it's strong enough to burn through steel. This means it can destroy tough objects.
Not just that, the Fractl:2 can also track and shoot down enemy drones flying at high speeds, up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour. That's like a car zooming down a highway!
To get this new weapon, the ADF has set aside about 4.9 million Australian dollars ($3.2 million). They believe it'll help make their air defense stronger and reduce the need for using lots of bullets to shoot down sneaky drones.
The Fractl:2 is considered one of the safest and most useful laser systems out there. It was first created in 2019 and is powered by batteries. You can set it up on a tripod or plug it into a wall to keep it running for a long time.
What's even better is that using this weapon doesn't cost much. AIM Defence says it's nearly free to use once you have it. And they've made sure it's safe for the eyes too, unlike some other laser systems that can be dangerous to look at.
Jae Daniel, one of the people who started AIM Defence, mentioned that they've tested the Fractl:2 extensively over the past two years. They've successfully used it to take down drones indoors and outdoors more than 200 times. This helped them make it even better and safer.
According to Daniel, the new version of the Fractl, the Fractl:2, is much safer than before. It's a hundred times less likely to cause any accidental harm. He claims it's the safest and easiest-to-use high-powered laser system available today.
Australia's decision to buy this laser weapon comes at a time when drones are becoming a big concern for many countries. Drones have been used in conflicts, like Russia's actions in Ukraine, and by groups like the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea to launch attacks.
Jessica Glenn, another co-founder of AIM Defence, said that dealing with drones has become a very important task for armies all around the world. She mentioned that over the past four years, AIM Defence has been working with Australia's defense groups to make a laser weapon that's not only powerful but also affordable and easy to use. And the Fractl:2 is the result of all that hard work.