I'm not clear why a laser is any worse at attacking low flying drones compared to the existing defense options. Of course the laser head will need to stick out

I'm not clear why a laser is any worse at attacking low flying drones compared to the existing defense options. Of course the laser head will need to stick out. Compared to a battery of rockets it will be easier to shield though. And explosion risks are greatly reduced. I'd assume netting is already a standard feature of drone defense too. So good luck trying to creep up to a laser. As the article mentions one of the applications will be on sea, where line of sight is total. And about dodging: a drone has inertia. When a laser attack is detected, it is already too late to dodge. If the drone tries to randomize its trajectory, that will greatly hamper its speed and range. Once the laser has a visual lock on the drone, any dodging attempts will be too slow to matter. Lasers will be particularly effective against drone swarms, due to their quick tracking abilities. So I really don't see where you gathered all that negativity. Sure new tech will take time to integrate. But it's been clear for a while that laser defense is coming.