China, US, Israel compete in fast-growing laser weapons race
Key takeaways
- More Gulf states are turning to laser weapons to combat drones in the Iran war.
- The lasers are mounted on a vehicle and are supposed to be able to shoot down drones.
- Already in the UAE is an Israeli-made laser system called Iron Beam that Israel apparently loaned the Emiratis, and further reports say the UAE is also trying to buy an American-made laser weapon.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
More Gulf states are turning to laser weapons to combat drones in the Iran war. Israel even loaned the UAE theirs. But do they actually work?
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dog IChina is considered one of the world's leaders in laser weapons and the Gulf states have been buying Chinese systems to defend against Iranian drones Image: Xu Xun/VCG/IMAGOAdvertisement Last week, avid online weapons spotters located what appeared to be a Chinese-made laser system at Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates. The lasers are mounted on a vehicle and are supposed to be able to shoot down drones.
Already in the UAE is an Israeli-made laser system called Iron Beam that Israel apparently loaned the Emiratis, and further reports say the UAE is also trying to buy an American-made laser weapon. The UAE has also entered into agreements with European and US companies to co-develop its own laser weaponry.