China will use lasers to take down low-flying drones

In order to defend itself against small drones, China built a laser-based system that can shoot down the compact aircraft up to 1.2 miles away. According to the official Xinhua news agency, the tech can bring down the rogue flying machines within five seconds of locating them at altitudes of up to 500 meters (1,640 feet). It’s said to be effective against the small UAVs flying at speeds of up to 112 MPH, and will primarily be used to secure events in urban locales and lock down unauthorized mapping efforts.

No comment on the politics of this - but I just love lasers that blow things up.