Shvabe has designed and developed a new laser cannon for ships, which is capable of cutting ice.

The ship-mounted laser can be used to support operations such as work at oil and gas platforms in the Arctic seas, making it easier to break the ice, reported RIA Novosti.

Speaking at the international exhibition Defense Expo, Shvabe CEO Sergey Maksin said: "We developed this ship-mounted laser for exploration and development in the Arctic, which has difficult ice conditions where platforms must operate and ships must pass through.

"This laser works like glass cutters, snipping away at the ice, and then the ship using its own weight can push through."

"This laser works like glass cutters, snipping away at the ice, and then the ship using its own weight can push through."

The company is currently integrating the laser cannon onboard an icebreaker for demonstrations.

Maksin said that after successful testing, the lasers can also be deployed on lightweight ice-class vessels in order to help ensure the products delivery along northern Siberian rivers where the ice is thinner.

The company is expecting to deliver the first ship-mounted laser cannon in 2015.

Schvabe, a wholly owned unit of by Russian Technologies, develops and manufactures high-tech optoelectronic systems, military and civil systems, optical materials, medical devices and energy-saving lighting technologies.

Image: The new laser cannon can be installed on lightweight ice-class vessels. Photo: © 2013 Rostec.