... which will vaporize targets using short pulses and produce powerful signals to disrupt enemy electronics

• The Tactical Ultrashort Pulsed Laser for Army Platforms will emit short pulses
• For a scant 200 femtoseconds, the burst would be a million times stronger than current lasers
• The result would evaporate the surface of a drone and cause a blast wave
• Its also though the USPL could cause an electromagnetic pulse  (EMP)

The US Army is developing its most powerful laser yet that is a million times more powerful than current systems. 

Most laser weapons fire a continuous beam until a target melts or catches fire, but the Tactical Ultrashort Pulsed Laser (UPSL) for Army Platforms will emit short, pulse-like bursts.

It's being designed to reach a terawatt for a brief 200 femtoseconds, which is one quadrillionth of a second, compared to the 150-kilowatt maximum of current systems.

Even for that infinitesimal amount of time, the UPSL could vaporize the surface of a drone.

It's also thought such a burst would disrupt nearby electronics systems, making it a functional electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

The US military group is aiming to have a working prototype by August 2022.