Hanwha Systems perfects laser weapons for counter-drone role

Hanwha Systems demonstrated its containerised Cheongwang counter-drone laser and a vehicle-mounted 30 kW laser at the Republic of Korea Army’s TIGER+ exercise on October 14, 2026, where all three drone targets were downed. The 20 kW Cheongwang, designated Laser Air Defense Weapon Block I, was developed with South Korea’s Agency for Defense Development and entered service in December 2024 to protect key installations. The October exercise followed a separate September demonstration in which six drones were neutralised in succession, and the Block I design now uses a South Korean laser oscillator.