UK military wants lasers to stop drone swarms without running out of ammo

Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) is seeking anti-drone technology capable of protecting troops from saturation attacks designed to overwhelm defenses or exhaust their ammunition. The tender, dubbed Project PANOPTES, is being run by UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) on behalf of the MoD, with an initial £5 million ($6.8 million) available to successful bidders. First-stage submissions close at midday on September 23, suggesting that the MoD is in something of a hurry.