Anti-Drone Laser Weapon Closer than Ever

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Because laser weapons could fire constantly without wasting ammunition, military technology experts have theorized they could one day be useful in combating the small, remotely operated quadcopter drones.

Raytheon has won a $23.8 million contract to build two prototypes of High Energy Laser Weapon Systems (HELWS) for the US Air Force.

Experimentation will include 12 months of in-field operation by Air Force personnel against unmanned aerial systems threats, the US Department of Defense stated.

The 10-kilowatt lasers are to be mounted on small ground-based vehicles and aimed using an interface similar to a video game controller. The prototype laser weapons incorporate a range of components from the commercial technology industry, including high-performance lithium-ion batteries, the same type used in electric vehicles.

Defenseworld.net cites reports claiming that laser weapons are also expected to be an effective counter against swarming attack drones and small quadcopter drones.

Work for the current contract is expected to be completed by November 1, 2020.

According to defence-blog.com, the Raytheon’s system is standalone, with a footprint of roughly 30 square feet. On a single charge from a standard 220v outlet, the HEL system onboard the light vehicle or buggy delivers four hours of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability and 20 to 30 laser shots. The system can also be coupled with a generator to provide virtually infinite magazine depth.

The new laser system would receive a signal from a separate sensor scanning the environment, and then acquire and positively identify the target. A human operator would be responsible for verifying the information provided by the sensor system and then ultimately firing the laser.