A drone appears on the grainy, gray-scaled image of the thermal camera. This is the type of drone used by groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Yemeni Houthis. Suddenly, a blinding whiteness overtakes the image. Seconds later, the wing of the drone snaps off, sending it tumbling down, exploding when it hits the ground.This is a video shared by the Israeli Ministry of Defence and arms producer Rafael, a hint towards the future of anti-drone warfare. In it, they are demonstrating one of their new weapons: a high-energy laser designed to take down aerial threats such as drones, but also rockets and even artillery shells. It’s called Iron Beam. Israel claims they have shot down several enemy drones with it already.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listLaser weapons have been a dream for arms manufacturers and militaries since the invention of the laser in 1960. So far, they have remained a dream. But now they seem to be on the brink of a breakthrough. Technological advances have made lasers more robust. At the same time, the rise of drones increases the need for weapons that can shoot them down cheaply and efficiently.“Lasers are the next step in air defence systems,” says Iain Boyd, director of the Center for National Security Initiatives at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he works on h …
