Raytheon to build high-energy laser prototypes
Raytheon is to build two prototype high-energy laser weapon system (HELWS) systems to be deployed to troops overseas under a US Air Force contract announced on 5 August.
The HELWS will be designed to destroy hostile UAS. The system uses pure energy to detect, identify and instantly take down UAS, and can target a single drone with precision. Paired with Raytheon's Multi-spectral Targeting System, it uses invisible beams of light to defeat the hostile UAS, and is mounted on a Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle.
Stefan Baur, vice president of Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems, said: ‘Every day, there's another story about a rogue drone incident. These threats aren't going away, and shooting them down with defensive missiles isn't always the most effective and safest way to bring them down.’
The air force experimentation includes 12 months of in-field operation against UAS and operator training.
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