Romania's Cold War Tank Melting Laser Revealed as Directed Energy Folklore

By Jared Keller · Fast Company · 2026-08-09

Fast Company examines the enduring myth of a secret Romanian superweapon allegedly used to repel Soviet forces during the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. While the nation was an early innovator in gas laser technology, no evidence suggests these fictional tank-melting mirrors ev

Fast Company examines the enduring myth of a secret Romanian superweapon allegedly used to repel Soviet forces during the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia. While the nation was an early innovator in gas laser technology, no evidence suggests these fictional tank-melting mirrors ev