Australian defense company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has successfully tested its Titanis laser weapon. The tests were conducted at the American Klondike training ground in the state of New South Wales. The developers have reported on the achievements of their system on their official website, describing Titanis as “silent and deadly”.
The Titanis system, equipped with water cooling and a power of 34 kW, demonstrated the ability to destroy drones and burn steel plates 8 mm thick at a distance of over a kilometer. This capability allows the system to engage not only drones but also light armored enemy vehicles. Titanis employs a modern impulse Doppler radar of 4D AESA and passive radio frequency detection to detect and track targets. It also utilizes high-precision infrared cameras, daily cameras, and advanced video software. Additionally, Titanis incorporates a non-destructive inhibitor of radio frequencies (RF) to combat drones. If the RF inhibitor is ineffective, the system switches to laser destruction.
Titanis, based on practical subsystems for detecting various types of drones, including motionless wing unmanned aerial vehicles and quadrocopters weighing up to 600 kg or less, has a rapid response time of 1-4 seconds to detect and engage targets. The system can be further enhanced with a 7.62 mm caliber machine gun for increased target damage options. Matt Jones, Executive Vice President of EOS for defense systems, stated that while the system was initially designed to counter drones, it can be upgraded to destroy different objects such as armored vehicles, high-speed missiles, or hypersonic missiles by increasing its power.
“Directed energy as a technology has a wide range of applications, from low-power systems that suppress sensors to very powerful systems that can shoot down hypersonic missiles even from space,” said Jones.
The developers of the system emphasize that directed energy offers significant technical advantages compared to other methods of destroying enemy technology. This is particularly crucial as rockets and drones continue to become faster, and only a laser capable of hitting its target at the speed of light (300 thousand km/s) can effectively intercept them.