A new laser weapon from Israeli startup Esh-Tech is taking aim at one of the toughest challenges in modern air defense: drone swarms.
Called DroneLight, the system uses rapid-fire laser pulses to engage multiple aerial threats in quick succession, reportedly allowing it to neutralize more than 30 drones in a minute.
Such a capability could give militaries an alternative way to counter large-scale drone attacks that can overwhelm conventional air defenses.
Instead of keeping a laser locked onto a target for an extended period, DroneLight fires short bursts of concentrated energy.
Once a hit is registered, additional pulses are directed at the drone until it is disabled, reducing engagement times and allowing the system to rapidly switch to the next target.
The company said a single drone can be defeated in as little as one to two seconds.
With a reported range of up to one kilometer (0.6 mile), DroneLight is intended for close-range air defense missions and can be integrated with radars, acoustic sensors, and electro-optical systems that provide target tracking data.
Built for Swarm Defense
One of the system’s defining characteristics is its relatively low power requirement.
Esh-Tech said DroneLight operates on approximately 4 kilowatts of power, significantly less than many traditional high-energy laser systems.
The lower energy demand could make deployment easier across a wider range of military platforms, including armored vehicles and other mobile assets.
The company is already showcasing the technology on a tracked armored vehicle configuration and is also exploring additional mobile deployment options.
According to Esh-Tech, the pulsed-laser architecture was developed specifically to improve response times against fast-moving and numerous aerial threats.
“DroneLight was developed in order to improve the readiness and effectiveness of forces in the face of the drone threat,” said Esh-Tech Chief Executive Officer Erez Riahi, as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.
“The combination of high power, low energy consumption, and low cost, makes possible wide deployment of protection systems not just for strategic sites but also for troops moving in the field.”
The first operational DroneLight system is expected to enter service in September 2026, according to the company.
