White Sands counter-drone demo blends laser kill capability with NASAMS
Vehicle-mounted High Energy Laser Weapon System mounted on a Polaris MRZR D4 vehicle. (Photo: Raytheon)
Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) has paired its High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) with the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) air defence system in a C-UAS demonstration at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The live-fire demonstration against a ‘drone swarm’ showed how high-energy lasers ‘can augment existing systems to provide [a] wide area of protection’, Raytheon noted in a 31 March statement, adding that the exercise showcased how NASAMS (developed by Kongsberg and the US company) could be augmented with an added layer of interoperability for medium-range air defence.
In all, the HELWS downed nine Group 1 and Group 2 UAVs.
During the live-fire exercise, the high-energy C-UAS system received cues from the NASAMS Fire Distribution Center and used automated target cueing and a ‘full spectrum’ of EO/IR sensors to track, identify and quickly take down UAVs at tactically relevant distances, Raytheon stated.
Annabel Flores, president of EW systems at RI&S, claimed: ‘We’re showing the world that our defensive laser weapons can plug into existing air defences to find and drop drones in the blink of an eye.’
More from Digital Battlespace
-
Northrop Grumman details bid for US Navy TACAMO aircraft replacement
The company believes its role as prime contractor on the E-2 Hawkeye puts it in a strong position for the programme to replace the USN's Boeing E-6 Mercury fleet.
-
Northrop Grumman hones US Space Force satellite design in virtual environment
The company has applied its Highly Immersive Virtual Environment technology to the design process of polar overwatch satellites ordered by the US Space Force.
-
Northrop Grumman joins USAF effort to build digital network backbone
The company will join Phase 1 of the Common Tactical Edge Network effort to enable Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
-
Raytheon satellite network will help track hypersonic threats
Raytheon Technologies has received an award worth over $250 million to design, develop and deliver a seven-vehicle networked missile tracking satellite constellation from the US Space Development …
-
Australia's C4i secures Asia-Pacific air defence voice comms contract
Frequentis Group's Australian subsidiary C4i has been awarded a contract to provide a VOIP communications control system to enhance a major Asia-Pacific national air defence network.
-
Ukraine adds automated wide-area reconnaissance system
Rheinmetall and DefSecIntel of Estonia are supplying a number of mast-mounted mobile surveillance systems for use in Ukraine.