On August 5, 2025, APDR reported that Electro Optic Systems (EOS) had obtained a landmark contract to supply a high-power laser-based counter-drone system to an undisclosed European NATO member state. This marks the world’s first export deal for a laser defence system in the 100-kilowatt class.
Valued at €71.4 million (about A$125 million), the agreement covers the production and delivery of the system, along with spare parts, training, and technical documentation. Manufacturing will take place in Singapore, EOS’s designated hub for this capability, with deliveries scheduled between 2025 and 2028.
The EOS High Energy Laser (HEL) system is engineered to disable drones in Groups 1 to 3, especially during coordinated swarm assaults. With continuous 100-kilowatt output, it can neutralise more than 20 drones per minute, even against advanced countermeasures like rapid manoeuvres, thermal shielding, and reflective coatings. It can also strike coordination nodes beyond 10 km to disrupt swarm communication and targeting data exchange.
Housed in a 20-foot ISO container, the HEL can be deployed in under two hours and integrates with NATO command-and-control networks as well as broader air defence systems. Externally powered, it can operate indefinitely, while its internal energy store allows it to destroy over 200 drones without resupply.
EOS has long provided kinetic counter-drone solutions using projectiles and missiles, but this step marks its entry into the directed-energy weapons market. The system, refined through three years of trials and live-fire testing, features integrated radar, threat detection and tracking modules, targeting systems, beam-lock technology, and advanced algorithms for precision engagement.
The deal follows extensive international demonstrations and highlights NATO’s growing interest in cost-efficient, modular defences against drone swarms and other asymmetric aerial threats. With this contract, EOS positions itself as a key operational supplier of directed-energy weaponry to allied forces.
