The Iran, Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts have shown how cheap drone fleets can wreak havoc on conventional weapons systems. So various anti-drone defense systems have been developed in the form of missiles, MANPADS and even laser systems.
At the Malaysia Aerospace Summit 2026 (MyAERO), the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has shown the first locally made anti-drone system. The Birdie-X system uses lasers to repel drones in the air. It is the result of a collaboration between the RMAF, the Defence Science and Technology Research Institute (STRIDE), and Benua Defence as a low-cost solution to the modern drone threat.
In the NST report, Birdie-X uses a high-powered laser with an operating cost of only hundreds of ringgit per shot. Birdie-X's creator, Lieutenant Colonel Hairul Zaimy, said that drone-repelling systems such as missiles cost millions of ringgit.
No information on the power of the laser used, whether it is portable, can be used on vehicles and how long it took to develop Birdie-X was shared with the public.
Several anti-drone laser systems have been developed over the past 20 years, but they have yet to fully repel laser attacks. For example, the Iron Beam anti-drone laser system developed by Rafael and Elbit Systems in Israel was ineffective during an Iranian attack this year. When it was launched four years ago, the Iron Beam was claimed to be able to shoot down not only drones but also missiles, costing just $15 per shot.
