The Peresvet combat laser, a weapon Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted about earlier this year, has entered experimental combat service with the Russian armed forces.
A new Russian laser weapon designed to instantly obliterate targets entered military service over the weekend, the Russian defense ministry revealed.
Russia’s Peresvet laser system, named after the medieval warrior monk Alexander Peresvet, entered experimental combat duty on December 1, the Russian defense ministry’s official Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported Wednesday.
The military began taking possession of the first shipments last year as part of Russia’s ongoing military modernization program, according to The Moscow Times, and there is speculation the lasers could shoot down incoming missiles and aeroplanes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin first announced the existence of this new laser weapon in March during his State of the Nation address, during which he briefly introduced the “Combat Laser Complex.”
“We have achieved significant progress in laser weapons,” he boasted, “It is not just a concept or a plan any more. It is not even in the early production stages. Since last year, our troops have been armed with laser weapons.”
“We are one step ahead our rivals,” Putin added, without providing any evidence.
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Peresvet Laser System Takes on Test Combat Duty