Why lasers, at $3 per shot, may be the next frontier for stopping drone attacks

March 16, 2026

Amid attacks from cheaply made Iranian Shahed drones, the U.S. is looking toward new, cost-effective ways to neutralize the threat. 

A drone attack killed six U.S. service members in Kuwait. To shoot down the drones, which can cost as little as $20,000 each, the U.S. military is using anti-missile interceptors that cost millions. 

Laser technology is still relatively young and experimental. But with a cost of just a few dollars a shot, lasers are being looked at as a possible solution as combatting Iran's drones drains the U.S. weapons stockpile, according to Wahid Nawabi, CEO of American defense contractor AeroVironment.

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