It is possible to shoot down aircraft: the AFU told about the new laser weapon "Trident"

Ukraine has become one of the few countries in the world possessing laser weapons capable of shooting down enemy aircraft. This was announced by the commander of the Unmanned Systems Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Vadym Sukharevskyy, during the conference "European defence industry: prospects for cooperation with the Ukrainian industry" organised by the We Build Ukraine think tank, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

Features of Ukrainian Trident laser

Sukharevskyy noted that the Ukrainian laser weapon called "Trident" demonstrates unique abilities, including defeating aircraft at an altitude of more than 2 kilometres.

Today Ukraine is, if I am not mistaken, the fifth country in the world that can say it has laser weapons. It really works, and we can shoot down aircraft with this laser," the colonel said.

This achievement puts Ukraine among the world leaders with high-tech weaponry, as only a few countries have such systems in service.

According to Sukharevskyy, work is currently underway to scale up and modernise the Trident system. Improving the weapon's characteristics and its integration into combat missions will be the next steps in the development of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Force.

Earlier Socialportal reported that on 5 December, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak to discuss strengthening US military assistance to Ukraine. According to The Guardian, during the meeting, Sullivan confirmed White House plans to significantly ramp up support through mid-January 2025. These steps are aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defence capabilities and creating additional obstacles for Russia to maintain its military aggression.