South Korea's Hanwha launched a new 50-kilowatt "laser armored vehicle" at the MSPO defense industry exhibition in Poland. (Picture taken from X@HanwhaEurope)
[Reporter Wu Zheyu/Taipei Report] The Russia-Ukraine war highlighted the pressure that low-cost drones put on traditional air defense systems. Many countries are looking for cheaper counter-drone means. Hanwha of South Korea has recognized the demand and launched a new 50-kilowatt "laser armored vehicle" at the MSPO defense industry exhibition in Poland. It integrates directed energy weapons into an 8-wheel armored vehicle, giving the laser air defense system the ability to maneuver and deploy. The prototype has been completed and is expected to be put into mass production before the end of 2027.
Military news website "Defense News" reported that Hanwha representatives said at the MSPO defense industry exhibition held in Kielce, Poland, on the 8th that the new laser armored vehicle is equipped with a high-power version of South Korea's current "Cheongwang" laser weapon, with the output increased to 50 kilowatts, and uses the "Tiger" 8-wheel armored personnel carrier as the carrier, aiming at the increasing anti-drone demand in Europe.
"Skylight" is not a weapon still in the conceptual stage. The South Korean military has deployed a fixed version since 2024 to protect important strategic facilities, including around the Blue House. Hanwha is currently further installing related laser technology into wheeled armored vehicles, hoping to make the system mobile with the troops and have the ability to track high-speed moving targets.
Compared with traditional anti-aircraft missiles, one of the biggest advantages of laser weapons is the cost of a single interception. Hanwha said that the cost of each laser launch of "Tianguang" is only about US$1.5, which is extremely cost-effective when facing a large number of cheap drones.
This feature also meets the current needs of European countries. If a traditional air defense system uses high-priced missiles to intercept a large number of low-cost drones, long-term operations may face the problem of unfavorable ammunition consumption and cost exchange ratio; laser weapons mainly rely on electricity to produce killing effects. As long as the energy and cooling systems can continue to operate, the cost of a single shot can be reduced.
Hanwha said that it is currently negotiating with many countries to export its "Skylight" laser system, including potential customers in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As Poland and other countries on NATO's eastern flank continue to expand their anti-drone capabilities, the 50-kilowatt mobile version will also become Hanwha's new product to compete for overseas markets.
However, Hanwha has only revealed that it has completed the development of a 50-kilowatt laser armored vehicle prototype and plans to start mass production before the end of 2027. It has not announced the effective interception distance, single irradiation time, energy and cooling system configuration.
