Taiwan’s new directed energy weapons include an 8 kW truck-mounted laser, pairing radar, and infrared sensors with precision to defeat drones.
Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC) has revealed an 8-kilowatt fiber-optic laser, marking a major step in the island’s asymmetric defense strategy.
Debuted at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition, the solid-state fiber laser emits at approximately 1.07 micrometers, a wavelength optimized for use in humid coastal air.
The weapon is designed to engage targets between 1 and 2 kilometers (0.62 and 1.24 miles), though current trials are capped at 150 meters (492 feet) for safety.
Weighing under 500 kilograms (1,102 pounds), the system mounts on a standard 5-ton (4,536-kilogram) truck, giving it mobility across Taiwan’s crowded terrain.
Its beam focuses to a 10-centimeter spot at 1 kilometer (0.62 mile), delivering concentrated energy with less than 2 milliradians of spread.
Against Group 2 drones, or those under 25 kilograms (55 pounds), the laser requires up to five seconds of dwell time to trigger structural failure.
Simulations suggest a 90-percent kill rate against quadcopter-type drones at 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) and as much as 85 percent effectiveness on maneuvering swarms.
Sensors, Power, and Integration
The system carries a proprietary mid-wave infrared camera that spots drones up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) and filters out 92 percent of false targets.
Target cueing comes from Echodyne’s EchoShield Ku-band radar, which can follow 500 objects within a 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) bubble.
Together, these sensors feed a gimbal-mounted beam director capable with adaptive optics, keeping the shot steady even in turbulent air.
Processing runs on commercial off-the-shelf cores with under 100 milliseconds of delay.
Power is drawn from a portable diesel generator, while a liquid cooling system manages thermal loads to prevent overheating.
Strategic Role
At a claimed cost of less than $1 per shot, the new laser weapon offers a strikingly cheap alternative to Tamir interceptors, which run about $100,000 each.
That advantage comes as Taiwan pours $876 million into counter-drone programs this year, a reflection of the urgency of defending against Chinese swarm tactics.
Still, testing remains the greatest challenge.
The island’s small landmass and dense population limit safe long-range trials, while subtropical haze, humidity, and monsoon rains can cut effective range by up to 12 percent per kilometer.
Analysts warned that typhoons and heavy weather could slash performance even further, forcing AIDC to pursue offshore or nighttime testing.
Despite those hurdles, the company plans to scale the system to 12 kilowatts by mid-2026 and integrate it into mobile air defense brigades.
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