Russia claims to have a laser weapon that can blind satellites in orbit around Earth as well as "inflict thermal destruction" on a drone in mid-air from miles away.
As Reuters reports, the mobile laser weapon is called Peresvet and was first announced back in 2018 by Vladimir Putin. At a conference in Moscow yesterday, deputy prime minister Yury Borisov stated that a recent test had seen the laser burn up a drone 5km (3 miles) away in just five seconds.
Borisov went on to claim that, "it can blind all satellite reconnaissance systems of a likely enemy in orbits of up to 1,500 km, disabling them during flight due to the use of laser radiation." Perhaps this is how Russia intends to take down Starlink if hacking continues to fail?
Peresvet is apparently being mass produced within Russia and supplied to its troops. If true, it suggests Russian forces may be using the mobile laser system in its war with Ukraine, although there's been no evidence of that presented thus far.
Borisov goes on to claim that "unannounced successors" to the existing Peresvet system are in development and that, "This is primarily a laser weapon, an electromagnetic wideband weapon that will replace (conventional weapons) in the next decade - this is not some sort of exotic idea; it is the reality."
The name given to this laser comes from the Russian Orthodox monk Alexander Peresvet who is known for fighting a duel back in 1380 against the Tatar champion Temir-murza. Both men died in the duel, but Russian legend claims Peresvet did not fall from the saddle unlike his opponent.