New Counter-Drone Weapon Works from a Distance

SYDNEY — A display shows a small commercial drone darting around. Then, tracking dots illuminate on the drone as the targeting system locks on. An operator sitting at a laptop and controlling a joystick fires a high-energy laser that disables the camera on the drone. The next shot fries one of the arms on the quadcopter, sending it pinwheeling to the ground.

What was novel about the demonstration of AIM Defence’s Fractl counter-drone system was the operator was sitting at a booth at the Indo Pacific 2023 International Maritime Exposition in Sydney, and the target drone was 900 kilometers away at a range in Melbourne. The system used the convention center's Wi-Fi to connect with the targeting and laser hardware that shot down the drone.

Read more at National Defense Magazine