The UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), in conjunction with the MoD’s Defence Equipment and Support DE&S) organisation, announced on 22 July 2024 that a high-powered laser weapon has been fired from a British Army combat vehicle for the first time.
The recent ground-breaking test, conducted at Dstl’s range in Porton Down, Wiltshire, saw the laser weapon neutralise targets at distances in excess of 1 km and represents a major leap forward in the UK MoD’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Demonstrator programme.
A six-wheeled British Army Wolfhound tactical support vehicle provided the platform for the laser weapon.
Alongside the UK’s DragonFire LDEW technology demonstrator, which is likely to initially have a naval application, this latest LDEW test will allow the MoD and British Army to understand how such a system could be optimally deployed on a future battlefield. Its most obvious immediate use is countering the threat from hostile small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with Dstl officials noting that the tested LDEW, which can track multiple targets and engage faster than the speed of light, effectively has a limitless magazines and only costs ‘10p per shot’, compared to the expense of downing a hostile UAV with a surface-to-air missile.
Team Hersa, which pairs Dstl’s technical expertise with the best acquisition skills from DE&S, is managing delivery of the UK’s LDEW demonstrators and is responsible for preparing the UK armed forces for the introduction of such weapons, ensuring they can successfully exploit the potentially game-changing technology at pace. Modes of operation and rules of engagement also need to be developed for the weapons.
“The joint working between Dstl, DE&S and industry has enabled rapid evolution of this laser demonstrator,” noted Dstl programme lead Matt Cork in a Dstl/DE&S press release. “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,” he added.
The Land LDEW Demonstrator was developed in collaboration with a consortium of UK suppliers, including Raytheon UK – which supplied the laser – along with Frazer-Nash, NP Aerospace, LumOptica, Blighter Surveillance Systems and Cambridge Pixel.
James Gray, chief executive and managing director of Raytheon UK, was quoted by Dstl/DE&S as saying, “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.”
