Posted on 05/09/2026 2:02:24 PM PDT by Red Badger
Ukraine is testing an AI-assisted laser system designed to destroy Shahed drones and protect key infrastructure.
Image of the Ukrainian Tryzub laser system. Military NYI
Ukraine’s Celebra Tech is edging closer to deploying its Tryzub anti-drone laser weapon in Ukraine, the company reports. According to Celebra, the system is now entering its final testing phase before battlefield deployment.
Colloquially called “Trident,” the system has been designed to give Ukrainian forces a cheap and rapid deployable counter to massed Russian first-person-view (FPV) drone and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations.
This could be game-changing, as Russia has made use of large numbers of cheap drones in Ukraine. Countering these threats with missiles is restrictively expensive, requiring a cheaper alternative ASAP.
For reference, traditional interceptor missiles, like the Patriot PAC-3, have price tags of between $3 million and $4 million per missile. More budget-friendly alternatives like the IRIS-T come in at around $430,000 apiece, with the NASAMS/AIM-120 interceptor between $1 million and $1.5 million.
Tryzub nears readiness in Ukraine
When compared to the price tag of their potential targets, like Shahed-style drones, coming in at between $20,000 and $50,000 each, the price differential of such an exchange becomes pretty clear.
Beyond using relatively cheap small arms (like modified shotguns or netguns), the only really effective way to counter such threats cheaply is likely directed-energy weapons.
To this end, systems like the Tryzub could be used to complement traditional air defense systems by adding a cheaper short-range drone denial capability. Such systems could be used to defend core assets like logistics hubs, population centers, power plants, etc.
Trailer-mounted, the system can reportedly knock out FPV drones up to distances of 2,953 feet (900 meters) and UAVs at around 4,921 feet (1,500 meters). The system is also being tested for potential Shahed-style drones at distances of around 16,404 feet (5,000 meters).
Celebra has also confirmed that the system has been tested against 7-inch (17-8 cm) to 13-inch (33 cm) targets. Specifically, its laser has proven effective against electronics, optics, and structural elements like wing surfaces.
Tryzub comes with optical targeting, radar linking, and automated tracking. This is also guided using artificial intelligence (AI), allowing it to rapidly acquire, track, and eliminate targets down range.
Killing drones on a budget
Ukraine’s Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi has previously announced that the system has seen some operational testing in early 2025, though no concrete information about such testing has been publicly released either.
According to reports, the system entered final testing sometime in early 2026. First unveiled in December 2024 at the European Defense Industry conference in Kyiv, this follows months of strategic public releases about the system’s progress.
Footage was also released by Ukrainian personnel in April 2025, apparently showing the system firing at a stationary ground target. That footage revealed that the tracking at that stage relied on manual joystick control, though it appears this has since been upgraded with AI.
While this all sounds impressive, it is important to note that much is still unknown about the system. For example, the power output of the laser is not publicly disclosed, as well as other key features like its cooling setup, battery capacity, etc.
Such things are important, as battlefield conditions like fog, rain, smoke, and dust all reduce a laser’s effectiveness in the real world.
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I want one in my backyard.
We have been using our own lasers to fry the electronics in the drones...not new by any measure.
Fine and dandy, but this equipment requires a lot of electricity...something Vlad has destroyed months ago...and continues to do.
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