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.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

波兰凯尔采——波兰和许多其他北约东翼国家正在寻找廉价的方法来增强其反无人机能力，而韩国韩华公司正在向该地区的军队推销一种新产品：安装在装甲车上的 50 千瓦激光器。

9 月 8 日，在波兰凯尔采举行的年度 MSPO 国防工业展的第一天，该公司代表表示，该车辆配备了韩国军方自 2024 年以来一直在使用的固定式“青光”激光器的更强大的版本。

“青王”导弹已被部署在具有重要战略意义的地点，包括国家总统府青瓦台附近。

韩华系统激光系统业务团队经理朴亨根告诉《防务新闻》：“我们目前正在与一些国家就青光激光器的潜在出口进行谈判，其中包括来自欧洲、亚洲和中东的潜在客户。”

朴先生表示，青王激光武器最大的优势之一在于，每次激光发射的成本约为 2000 韩元（1.5 美元），这使得该武器成为对抗无人机的一种非常经济高效的方式。

为了满足军队对能够跟踪快速移动目标的移动激光解决方案的需求，该公司将其激光技术与轮式平台相结合，使用了 Tigon 八轮驱动装甲运兵车。

“我们的新产品是50千瓦激光装甲车。我们已经开发出原型车，并计划在2027年底前开始批量生产这款车辆，”该高管表示。

Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。