Iran’s cheap drones are a drain on the U.S. weapons stockpile. Could lasers help fend them off?

March 16, 2026

They call it asymmetric warfare: our highly sophisticated interceptor missiles – Patriots, THAADs – against Iran's low-tech drones, made of materials you can largely get at your corner hobby store. 

While attacks by Iranian drones were down this past week, the amount of damage they have done has come as a jolt. An Iranian drone attack caused the first American casualties of the war when it killed six soldiers in Kuwait. Iranian drones are a drain on the U.S. weapons stockpiles and a threat to the Strait of Hormuz. We have found that in the race for a counter weapon, there are contenders that look like science fiction. Lasers that focus on zapping drones out of the sky.

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