Minsk developing its own laser weapons on ‘new physical principles,’ Belarusian Defense Ministry claims
Minsk is allegedly working on the development of laser weapons, the Belarusian Defense Ministry wrote in its April 24 Telegram post, citing the deputy head for scientific work at the General Staff, Viktor Tumar.
The ministry is focused on “having only its own, Belarusian, products,” he said, claiming the county’s leading positions in the development of electronic warfare and radar systems.
“We also have developments in laser weapons. We are going directly to weapons based on new physical principles.”
On April 12, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said that the UK was exploring the possibility of supplying Ukraine with a prototype of the cutting-edge DragonFire laser weapon system to counteract drone and missile threats.
The following day, on April 13, Ukraine’s Air Force spokesman Ilya Yevlash said that Kyiv needed any air defense system it can get, including laser weapons.
DragonFire, a laser weapon capable of neutralizing drones and missiles, operates invisibly and silently. Its light wavelength, roughly one micron, eludes human vision and aligns closely with the infrared light spectrum.
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With the ability to travel at light speed and an undisclosed range, DragonFire can instantaneously heat a metal surface to 3000C (5400F), creating plasma and penetrating aircraft fuselages and weapon casings within seconds.
The weapon’s development was influenced by recent conflicts in Israel and Ukraine, highlighting drones as a pivotal element of contemporary warfare. The UK Ministry of Defense notes DragonFire’s capacity to intercept objects surpassing the speed of ballistic missiles.
A standout feature of laser weaponry is cost-efficiency, with each discharge estimated at merely $12. The British Navy is slated to be the initial recipient of the DragonFire system, followed by ground-based deployments.
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