US developing high-powered LASER DRONES to counter North Korea ‘direct threat’

As part of US President Donald Trump’s massive $716 billion national security budget for next year, some $66 million has been set aside to build remote-controlled robots capable of destroying enemy rockets.

Military commanders say the new weaponry has the potential to be a “game changer” in the theatre of missile defense.

Making the case for funding, the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said: “Recent escalation of the threat from North Korea has demonstrated an advanced and accelerated capability.

The Low Power Laser Demonstrator (LPD) program has been tasked with producing an aerial drone fitted with a 150-kilowatt laser cannon.

Engineers are planning to mount the weapon on one of the United States’ brand new Avenger drones, a bigger, more stealthy model than the fearsome Predator drones used in conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But they still need to overcome a number of problems before it would be combat-ready, including the weight of current laser weaponry and the amount of power they require.

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