What is the ‘Tryzub’ or Trident laser weapon that Ukraine has unveiled?

In the war against Russia — now crossed 1,000 days — Ukraine is believed to have an edge. Kyiv is believed to have developed a Star Wars-style laser weapon, named the Tryzub, or Ukrainian for “trident,” a nod to the country’s national symbol representing independence, strength, and unity.

Speaking at a defence summit in Kyiv earlier this week, Vadym Sukharevskyi, Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems, confirmed the development of the laser weapon, being quoted by the Kyiv Post as saying, “It really works; it really exists. We can state that today Ukraine is, if I’m not mistaken, the fifth country that can say it has a laser weapon.”

But what do we know about Kyiv’s new laser weapon? How will it be an advantage to Ukraine in its war against Russia? Which other countries possess such arms? We get you the answers.

What we know of the Tryzub

Not much is known of the Tryzub or Trident. As of now, all that is known about the weapon is that it is capable of downing aircraft at distances of more than two kilometres.

Col Vadym Sukharevskyi without providing any more specifics said that the Tryzub was “real” and “currently operational,” though he did not say where exactly it is deployed.

While it is unknown how Ukraine developed the Tryzub, or the Trident, some defence experts believe that it could have taken inspiration from the UK’s design of the DragonFire . The DragonFire is a cutting-edge laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW), which uses an intense light beam to cut through its target and can strike at the speed of light.

The DragonFire is designed to shoot down drones, missiles, planes, and even satellites, with some noting that it could hit targets the size of a £1 coin. UK has not specified its range, but some say it can engage with any visible target and heats it to over 3,000 degrees Celsius. Moreover, as long as the gun has power, it will never run out of ammunition.

Notably, UK’s former Defence Minister Grant Shapps had said that the DragonFire was to be unveiled in 2027 — meaning it isn’t yet operational. In April, Shapps had even said that the UK could move up the production of the DragonFire in order to send it to Ukraine to use in the ongoing conflict.

How Tryzub could be beneficial to Ukraine

If Ukraine is to be believed and the Tryzub is operational, it will provide Kyiv with a huge advantage to the country in its fight against Russia. Experts note that it will pave the way for a low-cost alternative to missiles, to shoot down targets such as drones. Moreover, if it is inspired by the DragonFire system it could have an operational expense of less than £10 a shot.

The Tryzub would also be able to counter Russian hypersonic missiles, which can travel as fast as 6,115 kmph and are difficult to shoot down with existing weaponry.

“The big deal with lasers is that they provide a way of downing cheap weapons such as drones without using something costing vastly more,” Martin J Dougherty, a weapons expert and author of Aircraft, Tanks and Artillery of the Ukraine War, told The Telegraph.

Another expert also noted that an advantage of a laser weapon is that it provides an “infinite magazine.” What this means is that unlike traditional weapons such as guns and cannons that have a finite amount of ammunition, a high-energy laser can keep firing as long as it has electrical power.

However, laser weapons also have limitations. Patrick Senft of the Armament Research Services, a technical intelligence consultancy specialising in arms in munitions research, told CNN that faster-moving or heat-resistant targets — such as artillery shells, and ballistic missiles — are much harder to neutralise and demand a more advanced system.

Countries possessing laser weapons

With the Tryzub, Ukraine has now joined a small, elite club of countries which are in possession of laser weapons. The US Army is reportedly deploying a truck-based high-energy laser to shoot down a range of targets, including drones, helicopters, mortar shells and rockets.

Furthermore, other countries including Israel, Turkey, Germany, Japan and China have also developed laser weapons. Recently, it was reported that even Taiwan was now in possession of a laser weapon.

In July, South Korea said it would begin deploying laser weapons systems designed to intercept North Korean drones , which have caused security concerns in the South in recent years. South Korea’s Defence Acquisition Program Administration said that it will deploy at least one anti-air laser weapons system called “Block-I” by the end of this year and more in the coming years.

According to officials, the “Block-I” system is capable of launching precision attacks on small incoming drones and multi-copters. It said the system, developed by local company Hanwha Aerospace, costs just 2,000 won (about $1.50) per shot.

India, too, has been testing laser weapons. The DURGA (Directionally Unrestricted Ray Gun Array) and KALI (Kilo Ampere Linear Injector) weapons have been in the works since the late 1980s. According to an IndiaToday report, while DURGA is expected to be a space-based laser weapon capable of destroying satellites in any orbit, KALI is speculated to be a linear electron initiator capable of firing very powerful pulses of Relativistic Electron Beams (REB).

Ukraine’s enemy, Russia too appears to be developing a ground-based high-energy laser to “blind” their adversaries’ satellites.

Most defence experts note that low-cost drones will make laser weapons a must for all countries to possess and most countries will find non-military applications for lasers such as defending the public against terrorist attacks.

With inputs from agencies