Laser C-UAS systems need 5-15 seconds dwell on target but drones jink unpredictably

High-energy laser systems like DE-SHORAD need to hold a focused beam on a drone for 5-15 seconds to burn through the structure, but small drones executing evasive maneuvers at 2-5 Hz break the beam-target lock every 0.5-2 seconds, resetting thermal damage accumulation. A drone that simply zigzags at 3m amplitude while approaching can survive laser engagement. This persists because HEL designers optimized dwell time against rockets and mortars that fly predictable ballistic trajectories, and increasing laser power to reduce dwell below 1 second requires megawatt-class systems that are 10x heavier and 100x more expensive than current 50-100 kW prototypes.