German Scientists Have Built A Real, Functional Laser Turret


You say the words “laser turret”, and you think strategy games. Maybe shooters. They’re as clichéd a defensive tool that science fiction stories can get, but now, thanks to German scientists, they’re real.

While ground-to-laser technology has existed for a while now, this pair of weapons is really something else, boasting a twin-barrel casing that houses a 30kW and a 20kW laser beam, which when paired can track and shoot down drones flying at 50 metres per second.

Or, if the target isn’t moving, they can cut through steel girders from a mile away.

If that doesn’t sound powerful enough, the weapon’s manufacturers, Rheinmetall, say that lasers twice as powerful should be available within 3-5 years.

Seems a bit silly that Black Ops II went to all the trouble of making you shoot down drones with fighter jets, when they could have just parked a few of these outside LA, sat back and watched the rain.

Rheinmetall demos laser that can shoot down drones [BBC, via Motherboard]


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