The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has successfully fired a high-powered laser energy weapon from a British Army combat vehicle for the first time.
The groundbreaking trial was carried out at the Dstl range in Porton Down and demonstrated the laser weapon’s ability to neutralize targets at distances exceeding 1km.
The installation of the high-energy laser weapon on a British Army Wolfhound armoured vehicle marks a significant advancement in the UK Ministry of Defence’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Demonstrator programme, offering enhanced operational superiority on the battlefield.
The trial signifies a significant advancement in the UK Ministry of Defence’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Demonstrator programme, delivering enhanced operational superiority on the battlefield.
Team Hersa, combining DE&S’ procurement capabilities with Dstl’s technical knowledge, has created the laser in partnership with a group of UK suppliers.
Stephen Waller, programme lead at DE&S, said: “Our responsibility in Team Hersa is to work collabotatively with our partners and provide the engineering, commercial and project management expertise to help manage delivery of the demonstrators and prepare Defence for the introduction of innovative weapons systems. This high-powered firing is a significant step towards ensuring the UK Armed Forces can exploit this potentially game changing capability at pace so they have the edge against both current and future threats.”
Matt Cork, Dstl Programme Lead, added: “The joint working between Dstl, DE&S and Industry has enabled rapid evolution of this laser demonstrator. The successful testing of this high-powered laser weapon marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing efforts to enhance the future operational capabilities of the British Army. This technology offers a precise, powerful and cost effective means to defeat aerial threats, ensuring greater protection for our forces.”
The integration of the advanced capability demonstrator onto the Wolfhound will provide the Ministry of Defence and the British Army with insights into the effectiveness of LDEW Systems against emerging threats. Subsequent testing phases will entail trials with Army personnel later this year, further assessing the system’s functionalities and advantages in practical scenarios.
The laser system is designed to work in conjunction with a command and control system and can be seamlessly integrated with broader battle management radar and surveillance systems. It is adaptable for mounting on various platforms to cater to diverse operational requirements.
Key players in the British supply chain include Raytheon UK, Fraser Nash, NP Aerospace, LumOptica, Blighter Surveillance Systems, and Cambridge Pixel.
James Gray, chief executive and managing director of Raytheon UK, said: “In successfully firing the first laser weapon integrated on a land vehicle in the UK, Dstl has proven that the Raytheon high energy laser weapon system can track, engage and defeat targets whilst mounted on a vehicle. We now look forward to the British Army experimenting with the weapon over the coming months and proving that the technology is battlefield ready.”
