South Korea will soon start using&nbsp;laser weapons like those in the Star Wars&nbsp;franchise&nbsp;to shoot down North Korean drones. The weapon will be deployed later this year. With this, South Korea&nbsp;will become the world's first country to deploy and operate such weapons in the military, said the country's arms procurement agency on Thursday (July 11).&nbsp;

Seoul has named its laser programme the "StarWars project".

<h2>StarWars project</h2>

Developed by the South Korean military in collaboration with&nbsp;Hanwha Aerospace, the&nbsp;drone-zapping laser weapons, as per Reuters,&nbsp;are being touted as effective and cheap. In a statement,&nbsp;the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) revealed that the laser is quiet and invisible, and&nbsp;one shot costs only&nbsp;2,000 won ($1.45).

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DAPA called the weapons a "game changer," in the future battlefield and said:&nbsp;"Our country is becoming the first country in the world to deploy and operate laser weapons, and our military's response capabilities on North Korea's drone provocation will be further strengthened."

<h2>How does the "StarWars" laser work?</h2>

As per the DAPA spokesperson, the "StarWar" laser weapons will shoot down flying drones by obliterating or simply burning down engines or other electric equipment inside the drones. This would take around 10 to 20 seconds, and will be done using beams of light, explained the spokesperson&nbsp;at a briefing.

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This comes months after North Korean drones crossed into South Korea. In December, five Pyongyang drones entered South Korean territory, prompting Seoul to&nbsp;scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters to try to shoot down the drones.

Even though the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, the two Koreas remain technically at war, separated by a heavily fortified border. However, as per Reuters, this drone intrusion was the first of its kind in over six years — since 2017.

According to the United States, over the years, both nations&nbsp;have violated the armistice that governs their shared border by sending drones into each other's airspace.

(With inputs from agencies)

South Korea will soon start using laser weapons like those in the Star Wars franchise to shoot down North Korean drones. The weapon will be deployed later this year.

South Korea will soon start using laser weapons like those in the Star Wars franchise to shoot down North Korean drones. The weapon will be deployed later this year. With this, South Korea will become the world's first country to deploy and operate such weapons in the military, said the country's arms procurement agency on Thursday (July 11). Seoul has named its laser programme the "StarWars project". StarWars project Developed by the South Korean military in collaboration with Hanwha Aerospace, the drone-zapping laser weapons, as per Reuters, are being touted as effective and cheap. In a statement, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) revealed that the laser is quiet and invisible, and one shot costs only 2,000 won ($1.45). Also read | Senator Peter Welch urges Biden to quit 2024 race, as Democrats challenge him to prove re-election viability DAPA called the weapons a "game changer," in the future battlefield and said: "Our country is becoming the first country in the world to deploy and operate laser weapons, and our military's response capabilities on North Korea's drone provocation will be further strengthened." How does the "StarWars" laser work? As per the DAPA spokesperson, the "StarWar" laser weapons will shoot down flying drones by obliterating or simply burning down engines or other electric equipment inside the drones. This would take around 10 to 20 seconds, and will be done using beams of light, explained the spokesperson at a briefing. Also read | China nearly doubles world's wind & solar capacity: Report This comes months after North Korean drones crossed into South Korea. In December, five Pyongyang drones entered South Korean territory, prompting Seoul to scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters to try to shoot down the drones. Even though the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, the two Koreas remain technically at war, separated by a heavily fortified border. However, as per Reuters, this drone intrusion was the first of its kind in over six years — since 2017. According to the United States, over the years, both nations have violated the armistice that governs their shared border by sending drones into each other's airspace. (With inputs from agencies)

South Korea will use 'Star Wars' laser weapons to zap down North Korean drones

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