A Chinese-developed portable laser device designed to kill mosquitoes mid-flight has entered mass production, according to an update from the manufacturer, Photon Matrix Lab.
The Photon Matrix portable laser-based mosquito defense system is marketed as an automated, chemical-free “mosquito air defense” device that uses sensors and a precision laser to detect and physically disable mosquitoes and similar small flying insects mid-flight.
The system comes in two versions: infrared and blue-laser.
This laser-based mosquito defense system uses LiDAR for spatial scanning and distance measurement to lock onto targets, millimeter-wave radar for motion detection, and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) vision module to confirm the presence of small targets.
In the last step, a galvanometer (galvo)-controlled laser aims and fires a short pulse to kill the mosquitoes, according to the manufacturer. The portable device scans a roughly 90-degree horizontal plane. When it detects a qualifying insect, it calculates its position and directs a laser pulse—typically aimed at the insect’s wings—to disable it so it falls.
Photon Matrix said on Indiegogo that mass production began in August 2026 and that the company has also launched an official web store where customers can buy directly.
Notably, several other countries have been building innovative solutions to solve the mosquito problem, some of which involve lasers. This bears some similarities with the growing use of lasers as a credible counter-drone system.
The Photon Matrix mosquito killer and modern counter-drone laser weapons share the same fundamental sequence of “detect, track, aim, and kill.”
The differences, however, are profound. While consumer systems operate at low power levels sufficient to damage insect wings at short range, military high-energy lasers (HELs) deliver tens to hundreds of kilowatts of energy, focusing it to heat, melt, or structurally fail critical components of drones, rockets, or even missiles.
The World Is Turning To Laser Weapons
Laser weapons are now a battlefield reality as nations compete to deploy high-energy laser systems in warzones, mostly for air defense roles.
These weapons provide an economical and effective substitute for missile interceptors, especially amid the rapid proliferation of drones in modern warfare, as we have seen in wars in Ukraine and Iran.
A single engagement is expected to cost less than a dollar per shot, compared to millions for surface-to-air missiles for THAAD or Patriots. For instance, a PAC-3 MSE would cost nearly $4 million per unit, according to U.S. Army budget data.
In addition to ground-based defense, laser weapons typically enhance naval defense against anti-ship missiles, small boats, and sea drones. Importantly, high-energy laser weapons can strike near-instantaneously, preventing the hostile target from making the first hit.
China developed the Low-Altitude Laser Defending System (LASS), popularly known as the Silent Hunter, a 30–100 kW electrically powered, fiber-optic laser weapon designed to neutralize low-flying drones.
This system was allegedly spotted in Russia last year, as also reported by the EurAsian Times. Similarly, another Chinese-origin laser-based counter-drone system named ‘Shen Nung’ or ‘Shennong’ was seen protecting former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2024. Shen Nung’s radar can identify drones from up to 5 kilometers away and has a power range of 10-20 kW.
Separately, a laser weapon was spotted on China’s Type 071 Amphibious Assault Ship in August 2024, which appeared to be in the late stages of testing on the ship.
Additionally, China has developed the OW5 laser weapon system, a low-altitude, vehicle-mounted, high-mobility anti-drone device intended to defend convoys and key sites against drone threats. It combines radar and opto-electronics to provide quick, accurate target tracking, pointing, and detection without ammunition. It can function independently or in tandem with other systems, and comes in different variants.
During its Victory Day Parade in September 2025, China unveiled the LY-1, a ship-borne laser air defense system which could be deployed aboard its warships and, perhaps, its aircraft carriers. However, the LY-1 featured a turret-mounted design, suggesting it could be adapted for ground use, as the EurAsian Times reported at the time.
The US, meanwhile, has developed a host of laser weapons.
This includes the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system, a 60+ kW-class laser. Developed by Lockheed Martin, it is a large, stationary energy-producing apparatus with a directed energy array mounted on top. The USS Preble, the first warship to be equipped with this system, successfully test-fired its high-energy laser weapon against a drone in February 2025.
Another laser system developed by the US is the P-HEL (Palletized High Energy Laser). It is a 20 kW-class high-energy laser mounted on a transportable pallet that can be rapidly deployed to fixed sites. The P-HEL detects, tracks, and engages small drones (rotary- and fixed-wing) by focusing laser energy to burn critical components, causing them to fall.
As laser weapons gain prominence, the UK has developed the DragonFire laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) for installation on its warships.
The DragonFire is a 50-kilowatt (kW) class laser weapon mounted on a turret for precise aiming, designed to counter mortar rounds, drones, and missiles. The system includes an electro-optical camera and a secondary, lower-power laser for target acquisition and tracking.
Operating the laser typically costs less than £10 per shot.
Meanwhile, Israel has developed the Iron Beam, a 100–150 kW solid-state fiber laser system that can focus a beam to a coin-sized spot at a distance of 10 kilometers.
It works with Iron Dome and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to determine if a missile interceptor or a laser is more appropriate for an incoming threat.
Russia has also developed multiple laser weapons that remain shrouded in secrecy. This includes Peresvet and Zadira.
Named after Alexander Peresvet, a Russian warrior-monk of the Middle Ages, Peresvet is a ground-based laser weapon system. It is intended for air defense and anti-satellite (ASAT) warfare, mainly to protect mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers and dazzle or blind optical-electronic reconnaissance satellites.
Zadira, on the other hand, is designed for the thermal destruction of targets, especially drones, rather than merely dazzling them. It is believed to have a power between 50 and 100 kW.
Meanwhile, France has developed HELMA-P (High Energy Laser for Multiple Applications – Power), a 2–10 kW laser system intended to destroy drones and other aerial threats.
It has a laser emitter and a two-axis turret with optical sensors, all operated by one person via a human-machine interface. Furthermore, the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) recently ordered a demonstration of the SYDERAL laser weapon system, designed for short-range air defense and anti-drone warfare.
Germany, which is building military capability to deter potential aggressors, is not far behind in the laser race. Reports from last month indicated that, building on their earlier work on a laser demonstrator, Rheinmetall and MBDA will develop a high-energy laser weapon for the German Navy. The weapon system is anticipated to be operational in 2029.
India has also joined the bandwagon, developing laser weapons as affordable counter-drone systems.
New Delhi successfully tested its first high-energy laser weapon, the Mk-II(A) Laser-Directed Energy Weapon (DEW), on April 13, 2025. The 30-kilowatt laser system demonstrated the ability to precisely neutralize fixed-wing aircraft, swarms, and surveillance sensors at ranges up to 5 kilometers.
These programs differ in power, maturity, and intended role, yet all pursue the same economic logic: affordable, rapid engagement of massed, low-cost aerial threats. Meanwhile, laser mosquito killers are virtually doing the same thing in a different world.
- Contact the author at sakshi.tiwari13 (at) outlook.com
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