A high-energy laser weapon has been fired by the British
Army from an armoured vehicle for the first time and
successfully destroyed flying drones.
It works by directing an intense beam of infra-red light in the
form of energy towards its target using advanced sensors and
tracking systems which maintain lock-on and accuracy in real
time.
Unlike conventional munitions, laser weapons are virtually
limitless in terms of ammunition supply, which means they could
represent a cost-effective alternative to some current in-service
weapons.
The laser was integrated onto a Wolfhound – a protected
troop-carrying vehicle - where soldiers from 16 Royal Artillery
were able to track and down hovering targets at Radnor Range in
mid-Wales.
The laser has been developed through a collaboration between the
MOD's Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) – known as
Team Hersa – and an industry consortium led by Raytheon
UK.
This delivers on the Government's Plan for Change, by rapidly
advancing technologies and building on the strong foundation of
national security.
Warrant Officer Matthew Anderson, trials manager for the
British Army's Mounted Close Combat Trials and Development Group,
said:
“Every engagement we've done has removed a drone from the sky.
While we've been testing a variety of distances, speeds and
altitudes, one thing has remained – how quick a drone can be
taken out.
“It's definitely a capability that could be added to the arsenal
of weapons that we use on the battlefield.”
The purpose of the capability demonstrator programme is to
discover and test the potential future use of directed energy
weapons by the British Army.
Having already been tested by engineers from MOD and
industry, the latest experimentation by the British Army should
provide knowledge, information and experience to support
future requirement decisions, ensuring the UK stays at the
forefront of this novel and disruptive technology.
Stephen Waller, Directed Energy Weapons Team Leader for
DE&S, said:
“This is still an emerging technology, but the world has
changed and we are seeing more use of drones in the
battlespace. This requires a more cost-effective solution to
protect our troops.
“Having the capability to track and eliminate moving drones will
give UK troops a better operational advantage and these
successful trials have demonstrated that we are well on our way
to achieving this.”
As well as Raytheon, Fraser Nash, NP Aerospace, LumOptica,
Blighter Surveillance Systems and Cambridge Pixel have been
involved in developing the weapon under a £16.8 million contract
awarded by Team Hersa.
UK MOD will take the learnings of the project into account and
assess the necessary steps to develop Laser Directed Energy
Weapons for frontline use by the British Army in the
future.
Matt Cork, Head of Team Hersa Dstl
said:
“The successful testing of the Laser Directed Energy Weapon
demonstrator is an important step towards a future capability.
This technology has the potential to offer a credible and
cost-effective means to defeat a range of current and future
threats, which would improve the effectiveness of our armed
forces”
ENDS
Editor's
Notes:
, Chief Executive and Managing
Director of Raytheon UK, said:
“Our high energy laser weapon system has been used in operations
globally, so it is great to see the British Army experimenting
with this game-changing capability.”
“The success of this test is down to the skill, dedication, and
vision of our scientists and engineers, who have collaborated
with the army to help fulfil its commitment to staying at the
forefront of technological innovation”.
