"You know, I have one simple request, and that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads! Now, evidently, my cycloptic colleague informs me that that can't be done."
That quote is from the extremely quotable Austin Powers franchise, in particular with Dr. Evil asking why he couldn't get sharks with laser beams attached to their heads. It's a simple request. One I relate to, as I've asked my shark guy to do the same for years. And while it was finally done by his son, Scotty, in later movies, #2 should've just asked the French, because they built an ATV with a freakin' laser beam attached to its head.
Best of all, they didn't even have to be threatened with being thrown into a lava pit to get it done. They just did it because it's cool...Well, and to shoot down enemy drones.
According to my buddy Jared Keller, who has written extensively about the global military-industrial complex, the ATV is from French defense contractor SOFRAME. The ATV is a modified iteration of the company's HE441 lightweight vehicle but is equipped with "a 2 kilowatt High Energy Laser for Multiple Applications – Power (HELMA-P) laser weapon turret," atop its frame.
The laser, developed by CILAS, which develops optics and lasers for the French military, was designed to destroy incoming UAVs from over 1 kilometer away—a little over half a mile for us Americans—and blind the UAV's sensors from over 3 kilometers away—nearly 2 miles. Neato.
As for the ATV itself, Army Recognition, which Keller quotes, states that the HE441 "is built to perform across diverse and challenging terrains, featuring a lightweight yet rugged structure that allows it to navigate rough, off-road landscapes at high speeds," which is why I'm covering here. It's a freakin' ATV with a laser beam!
The French military and government have already put the laser into use, using it to protect the skies above the most recent Olympics, and have actively tested the system with its Navy. They've liked the system so much so that they've ordered a lot more from CILAS. How many? That's unclear.
As for the ATV here, this particular iteration is still just a test-bed for the military. Whether they adopt it or not is anyone's guess. But based on how drones and other UAVs are being used in the theaters of war at the moment, more weaponry like the HELMA-P-equipped HE441 ATV are likely to be employed and built.
