ABC News · Courtney Gould and Nicole Asher · Tuesday 21 April 2026
Canberra commits $7 billion to laser and counter-drone systems, with the government itself invoking the Reagan-era 'Star Wars' branding.
Seven billion on lasers that can hit a ten-cent piece, aimed at drones that cost less than a secondhand Corolla. Reagan called it Star Wars in 1983 and it never worked then either — but the brochures were always magnificent. Defence procurement's one iron law: spend a million to kill a thousand, call it deterrence, and if anyone asks about the arithmetic, point at the laser.