Europe develops laser weapons
Laser weapon use against a drone: favorable shots
(Bild: EDA)
Laser weapons are to be used in the fight against drones in future. By 2030, European laser weapons with an output of 100 kilowatts should be ready for use.
Using light against missiles and drones: Europe is developing its own laser weapons. The systems should be available by the end of the decade.
The TALOS-TWO project (Tactical Advanced Laser Optical Systems: Technologies for High Power Laser, Vulnerability study, Vignette development and Operational Study) aims to develop laser weapons (laser directed-energy weapons, LDEW) with an output of 100 kilowatts by 2030. Among other things, two 1μm high-power laser sources are to be developed as part of the project.
The aim of TALOS-TWO is "to ensure the sovereignty of laser components for the EU armed forces and to develop innovative European solutions for the laser source architectures of future LDEW systems", CILAS announced [1].
DLR and Fraunhofer are involved
The project involves 21 research institutions and companies from eight European Union member states, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and the defense companies Lenoardo, MBDA and Rheinmetall. The consortium is led by the French laser company Compagnie Industrielle des Lasers (CILAS), a subsidiary of ArianeGroup.
The European Defense Agency (EDA) had already initiated the development of a European laser weapon in 2018. The first TALOS project [2] ended in 2023, while the recently launched second project will run until the end of 2027.
The laser weapons are intended to combat incoming artillery shells, drones and missiles. They can be permanently installed, for example at critical infrastructure facilities. However, there are also plans to equip ships, vehicles and aircraft.
The advantage of laser weapons is that they are significantly cheaper than conventional weapons, which is particularly useful when combating commercially available civilian drones that have been converted into weapons. The British Ministry of Defense quoted 10 British pounds per shot for the Dragon Fire laser weapon, which was first tested in 2022. That is the equivalent of around 12 euros.
(wpl [3])
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This article was originally published in German [7]. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
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[1] https://ioe.wat.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Press-Release-TALOS-TWO-KOM-2024.pdf
[2] https://www.talos-padr.eu/
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[7] https://www.heise.de/news/Europa-entwickelt-Laserwaffen-10304071.html
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