High-energy lasers are increasingly viewed as the most cost-effective way to defend against drones and missiles launched by Iran at oil refineries and U.S. bases across the Middle East. Shooting a laser is cheap — as little as $3.50 a shot, according to some estimates — compared with systems, like Patriot missile interceptors, that can cost more than $3 million per shot to neutralize a drone. President Trump told reporters this week that lasers would soon be able to do the work of Patriot missile interceptors “at a lot less cost.” “The laser technology that we have now is incredible,” he said. “It’s coming out pretty soon.” The idea of using lasers this way isn’t new. American military leaders have spent decades trying to develop this technology, pursuing a dream of a weapon that can hit a target at the speed of light and never run out of ammunition.

Full report : High-energy lasers can burn drones in the sky like a blowtorch. But they can be stymied by weather, and making them at scale will be a challenge.