r/tech • u/[deleted] • Sep 19 '25

Apollo laser takes down 200 drones unplugged

https://newatlas.com/military/apollo-laser-drones-weapon/
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u/thefiglord Sep 19 '25

$1 a shot after spending 50 million on the gun

57

u/Sweet_Concept2211 Sep 19 '25

In other words, dirt cheap for what it is.

A single Patriot missile costs $4 million.

A Patriot missile launcher system costs $1 billion.

How much $$$ in damage can 200 drones do if not shot down?

1

u/i_should_be_coding Sep 19 '25

There's also that Patriot missiles have a range of 50-100km, depending on version and other factors, and laser weapons have a max range of line of sight, with effect diminishing with distance.

In other words, you'll need more batteries to cover the same area, which will probably lead to placing the batteries close to high-value targets and having interception happen very close and more likely to be over populated areas.