Footage circulating in Russian pro-military channels this week shows what is claimed to be a Russian laser weapon system engaging aerial drones, according to a Russian military blogger who described the video as an "exclusive." The blogger's post claimed several
Lasers massively lose efficiency over distance because the light spreads with distance. They’re horrible for long range targeting.
They are using them right now, so clearly not that terrible for this use case. Even when you have loss of efficiency, if you’re hooked up to the power grid, you can amplify the power enough for it to be effective. And it’s going to be cheaper than producing interceptor missiles and drones that have to be physically produced, stored, and distributed.