Australian defense technology leader Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has officially revealed the name of its high-energy laser weapon. Dubbed “Apollo,” the system will make its international debut at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London this September.
The announcement comes just weeks after EOS secured a landmark deal with a European NATO member, marking the world’s first export contract for a 100-kilowatt-class laser weapon. Scalable to 150 kW, Apollo is designed to take on the rising threat of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), particularly swarms of small drones increasingly used for reconnaissance and attack.
According to EOS, Apollo is capable of destroying between 20 and 50 drones per minute, supported by a high slew rate that enables rapid retargeting and a continuous power supply that allows unlimited engagements when connected to external sources. Even when running independently, the containerized system can deliver more than 200 stored “kills.”
“Swarm drone attack is one of the most dangerous evolutions in modern conflict,” EOS said in a statement. “For every million dollars spent on attacking someone, defenders may spend 50 times more to stop it. Unless defenses are carefully engineered, the economics of conflict can bankrupt you before they kill you.”
Lasers, the company argues, flip that equation. Unlike interceptor missiles that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each, a laser shot is essentially priced at the cost of power. EOS claims Apollo can neutralize drones far more cheaply than missile-based systems, branding it “the world’s cheapest shot” to defeat drones.
Apollo represents the culmination of decades of EOS work in directed energy. Last year, the company introduced a “laser dazzler” mounted on its Slinger weapon station to blind drone sensors. Apollo now extends that research into a field-ready high-energy weapon capable of “hard kills” against drones within three kilometers and sensor disruption at ranges up to 15 kilometers. The system delivers full 360-degree coverage, including vertical engagements, and is packaged in a mobile 20-foot ISO container that can be deployed within two hours.
Integration has also been built into the design. Apollo can operate as a stand-alone defense system or slot into layered defenses alongside kinetic interceptors, with full NATO command-and-control compatibility to ease adoption by alliance members.
EOS Group CEO Dr. Andreas Schwer called Apollo a timely response to the rapid evolution of drone warfare. “High-energy laser weapons are moving from theory to necessity,” he said. “There is strong international interest in these systems, and it is increasingly clear they will play a central role in counter-drone defense. Apollo is ITAR-free, fully controlled by EOS, and ready for partners to adopt, localize, and sustain as their own.”
EOS will showcase Apollo at DSEI 2025 as part of Team Defence Australia, hoping to attract further global partners. With swarming drones reshaping the modern battlefield, the company believes directed-energy weapons like Apollo will form the backbone of future air defense.
“Drones have fundamentally changed warfare,” EOS said. “Apollo has been designed from the ground up to counter those threats at the speed of light. What we do next is what matters most.”