General Atomics has introduced a new airborne laser weapon mounted on its MQ-9B SeaGuardian drone.
The system, a 25-kilowatt-class high-energy laser (HEL), was revealed at the Sea-Air-Space 2025 expo. It marks the first time the company has shown a working laser weapon mounted on an aircraft in public.
– U.S. Unveils Cutting-Edge Drone-Mounted Laser to Counter Missile Threats
General Atomics has introduced a groundbreaking laser weapon mounted on the MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone, designed to melt missiles and drones mid-flight.
Revealed at the Sea Air Space 2025 expo in… pic.twitter.com/ONCN05WgOG
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The Informant (@theinformant_x) April 22, 2025
The laser is housed in a pod attached under the drone’s wing. It uses distributed gain laser technology, which spreads energy across several modules instead of combining multiple beams.
Naval News reported that the system’s large optical aperture and advanced cooling technology enable significant size and weight reductions, making it well-suited for deployment on air, land, and sea-based platforms.
General Atomics showed a display of the MQ-9B using the laser to shoot down Shahed-style one-way attack drones. These drones, often used in swarms, are a growing threat to U.S. and allied naval ships. A laser on the MQ-9B could take out large groups of low-cost drones without using expensive missiles.
The MQ-9B drone can fly for more than 40 hours at altitudes up to 40,000 feet. It carries sensors for radar and night vision and can take off and land by itself. It is approved for use in civilian airspace and is already used by NATO allies like the U.K. and Japan.
This is not General Atomics’ first work with lasers. In 2021, it teamed with Boeing to show a 300kW laser system for the U.S. Army. In 2022, it showed laser-based communications between aircraft.
