Hanwha plans to build armored vehicle carrying a counter-drone laser

KIELCE, Poland — As Poland and numerous other NATO eastern flank countries are looking for inexpensive ways to bolster their counter-drone capabilities, South Korea’s Hanwha is pitching a new product to militaries across the region: a 50 kW laser mounted on an armored vehicle.

Speaking on Sept. 8, the first day of the annual MSPO defense industry show in Kielce, Poland, company representatives said the vehicle is fitted with a more powerful version of the stationary Cheongwang laser that South Korea’s military has used since 2024.

Cheongwang has been deployed at strategically important sites, including near the Blue House, the office and residence of the nation’s president.

“We are currently in talks with a number of countries over potential exports of the Cheongwang laser, including potential clients from Europe, Asia and the Middle East,” Hyungun Park, the manager of the laser system business team at Hanwha Systems, told Defense News.

One of the biggest advantages of the Cheongwang results from the fact that each laser shot costs around 2,000 Korean won ($1.5) which makes the weapon a highly cost-efficient way to counter drones, Park said.

To cater to the needs of militaries seeking a mobile laser solution capable of tracking fast-moving targets, the company has combined its laser technology with a wheeled platform, using the Tigon eight-wheel-drive armored personnel carrier.

“Our new product is the 50 kW Laser Armored Vehicle. We have developed a prototype, and we plan to launch serial production of this vehicle by the end of 2027,” according to the executive.