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00:03 Report / Ralph Martin

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RWNE_20250704_7220 / EBU_20240413_102256 / AP_20250910_4602613
Ukraine's capital under drone bombardment. Israel under missile and drone attack from Iran. Even Poland - a NATO member country - has seen multiple Russian drones violate its airspace. Cheap and plentiful drones are increasingly hard to combat.

:17 ((patriots, F-16s, propeller planes))  RWNE_20250920_6565 / Ukrainisches Militär 20-09-2024 Ukrainian propeller plane fighting russian drones Fremdfilm
Traditional air defense systems like the US-made Patriot were engineered to take down BIG threats like cruise missiles. They're expensive and hard to replace. Ukraine has scrambled F-16 fighters to chase down attack drones, and even put old propeller planes into use. The drones  often fly in swarms that include even cheaper unarmed 'dummy' decoy drones that must also be shot down.

:44 ((Israel laser video))  RWNE_20250917_5780   
For years, militaries have experimented with LASER systems to knock down airborne threats. Now Israel says it has successfully tested a high-powered laser system that can target drones and destroy them with high-energy beams.  It says its so-called Iron Beam anti-missile lasers will go into use later this year - for use against drones as well as rockets, mortars, and aircraft. 

1:11 ((tafel))   
Laser systems have many advantages over conventional air defense setups. Intercepting a drone with lasers can cost between one and five dollars. While rocket interceptors start at $50,000 each. The systems are much cheaper than a Patriot battery, which can cost a billion dollars and takes years to produce. The disadvantages of lasers include poor performance in rainy or stormy weather, and limited range compared to conventional systems. 

1:40  AFP_20250903_VIDI739T79E_EN   
It's not just Israel. An Australian company says it has sold a system for about 80 million dollars to an unnamed NATO member country. Meanwhile the European Union's defense agency and Ukraine have also been developing laser weapons. And China displayed its LY-1 laser system at its 2025 military parade. The system is already in use by its navy. 

2:07
So far all these laser systems are for DEFENSIVE use - as the drone arms race ramps up the need for protection against assaults from the air.