Raytheon Intelligence has announced that it collaborated with KBR subsidiary Kord to demonstrate the capabilities of a 50-kilowatt high-energy laser weapon integrated onto a Stryker combat vehicle.
According to the company, the directed energy weapon system successfully acquired, tracked, targeted, and defeated multiple mortars during the recent trial at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
It also reportedly neutralized several small, medium, and large drones.
KBR President Byron Bright explained that the recent operational assessment showed that the laser weapon is a “proven answer” to asymmetric threats such as drones and mortars.
“This team once again showed that the HEL (High Energy Laser) system is fully-integrated and ready to provide protection against complex threats,” he said.
The Laser Weapon
Raytheon’s high-energy laser weapon features scalable power and a “ruggedized” design that reportedly adapts to the demands of various missions.
It provides 360-degree coverage for improved protection of bases, airports, stadiums, and other important military or civilian assets.
Its open architecture allows for easy integration of cutting-edge technologies in the future.
The weapon can be used as a standalone system or integrated onto platforms such as armored vehicles.
‘An Essential Step’
The test aimed to assess the platform’s ability to protect soldiers against various aerial threats, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, rotary-wing aircraft, artillery, rockets, and mortars.
Raytheon provided the 50-kilowatt laser weapon, while Kord served as the primary integrator of the system on the Stryker combat vehicle.
According to Raytheon official Annabel Flores, the lasers are “ready to give soldiers a new level of protection” as the military faces increasingly complex threats.
She further stated that laser weapons testing is “an essential step” to providing “maneuverable, short-range” air defense in the future.