As Russia unleashes relentless drone swarms on Ukraine and is suspected of incursions in Poland and Romania, the imbalance between cheap drones and billion-dollar air defense systems has placed a heavy burden on militaries scrambling to defend their skies.

Attention is now turning to laser systems, which promise a striking economic advantage. The EU, Ukraine, Australia and China have invested heavily in the technology, while Israel has already announced the deployment of Iron Beam, a high-energy laser weapon system.