Laser gun shoots down drones in US military test

A laser beam gun has successfully downed 'enemy' drones in tests by the US Army and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin.

Video has been released showing the secretive weapon being tested at the US Army's Space and Missile Defence Command testing range in New Mexico last month.

Footage shows flames bursting from the tails of flying drones as five of the unmanned aircraft are brought down by the 'Athena' laser weapon system.

The ground-based system can be mounted on armoured vehicles and potentially military aircraft and warships.

It works by bring together individual lasers through fibre optics and then generating a single, intense laser beam.

Lockheed Martin hailed the tests as evidence of Athena's "decisive lethality" against drones.

"The tests at White Sands against aerial targets validated our lethality models and replicated the results we've seen against static targets at our own test range," said Keoki Jackson, the company's chief technology officer.

US Army generals hope the advanced weapon will offer protection to troops against swarms of drones carrying explosive devices or rocket and mortar barrages.