The article title says "new," but this system was first shown last March during a speech by Putin. The Russian military also showed video of "Peresvet" in July. This particular article puts this video in the context of the current discussions concerning the future of the INF Treaty.
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excerpt:
"
Russia Shows Off New Laser Weapon After U.S. Threatens to Pull Out of Missile Treaty"
Russian state media published video earlier today of its latest laser weapons system, the Peresvet. The move comes just a day after the U.S. said it would likely pull out of a key arms treaty between the two countries, and the timing of the video’s release doesn’t appear to be a coincidence.
“Peresvet laser systems, based on new physical principles, entered combat service in [a] testing regime with the Russian armed forces,” Russian Defense Ministry’s newspaper said, according to an English translation.
full article here:
https://gizmodo.com/russia-shows-off-ne ... 1830874116