This information was disclosed by Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems, during the “European Defense Industry: Prospects for Cooperation with the Ukrainian Defense Industry” conference.
“Ukraine is now, to the best of my knowledge, the fifth country that can assert it possesses a functioning laser weapon,” Colonel Sukharevskyi stated. “As of today, we are capable of shooting down aircraft at altitudes greater than two kilometers using this laser system.”
He noted that work on improving “Trident” is ongoing, hinting at future enhancements in the system’s capabilities and reliability.
In addition, Colonel Sukharevskyi highlighted the use of drone technology that can deploy light strike UAVs mid-flight.
“We currently utilize so-called ‘mother drones,’ which act as FPV [First Person View] carriers. With an operational radius of over 70 kilometers, they can carry two FPV strike drones, acting as both a launch platform and a signal relay point, enabling the effective engagement of enemy targets deep behind enemy lines. In my opinion, this is a significant breakthrough,” he explained.
Earlier this year, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense showcased its DragonFire Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) system. Subsequently, there have been discussions about potentially providing Ukraine with laser weapons like DragonFire, capable of engaging and downing hostile drones and missiles.
