High-Energy Laser Counter-Drone Systems

Canberra-based Electro Optic Systems (EOS) unveiled Apollo in September 2025 — a high-energy laser weapon scalable to 150kW that can neutralize small drones at ranges up to 2 miles and disable optical sensors at 9 miles. Apollo integrates a radar, 30mm cannon, and EOS's proprietary stabilization and pointing technology into a single counter-drone system. QinetiQ Australia is separately developing laser-based defense technology under contract with the Department of Defence, with a full-scale prototype delivered in the first half of 2025.

The war in Ukraine demonstrated that cheap drones can threaten expensive military platforms, creating an urgent global demand for affordable counter-drone systems. Conventional air defense missiles cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per shot — unsustainable against swarms of $500 drones. Laser weapons fire at the speed of light with near-zero marginal cost per shot (essentially just electricity), making them economically viable for defending against mass drone attacks. EOS has marketed Apollo as delivering 'the world's cheapest shot.'

Australia's development of indigenous directed-energy weapons aligns with AUKUS Pillar II technology cooperation and addresses a capability gap identified across all Western militaries. The technology leverages EOS's decades of experience in precision optical systems for space situational awareness and satellite tracking. Directed-energy weapons represent a new category of Australian defense export, with potential customers across NATO, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East facing similar drone swarm threats.