Israel's defense industry has achieved a global first by successfully demonstrating that a compact, airborne high-power laser can shoot down unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The tests staged over the Mediterranean Sea show that an aircraft as small as an Elbit Systems-owned Cessna Caravan testbed can deliver enough thermal energy to shoot down "I am confident that Israel's defense industry will succeed in this important development program, and I will personally work together with the entire defense establishment to ensure its success," Defense Minister Benny Gantz says. The defense ministry's announcement revealed little about the technical details of the interception events 49-in.-long X 50-in.-tall bay on the rear aft side of the fuselage. The system includes a beam-tracking system to illuminate the target and a laser to blast it with electromagnetic energy. A three-person payload control system was installed forward of the high-power laser inside the Caravan's fuselage.
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