An industry team led by Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business, and Kord, a wholly owned subsidiary of KBR, completed a US Army operational assessment at White Sands Missile Range to defeat multiple 60mm mortar rounds using a 50kW-class high energy laser integrated on a Stryker combat vehicle. Multiple tests were conducted to simulate real-world scenarios.
The directed energy weapon system is part of the US Army’s Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or DE M-SHORAD. It is designed to acquire, track, target and defeat multiple mortars, says a Raytheon press release.
Continuing to put the DE M-SHORAD system to the test, the recent operational assessment at White Sands Missile Range also included defeating several small, medium and large drones.
The DE M-SHORAD effort is aimed at protecting soldiers against various aerial threats, including unmanned aircraft systems, rotary-wing aircraft, rockets, artillery and mortars. Kord serves as the primary integrator of the system on the Stryker combat vehicle, while Raytheon Intelligence & Space provides the 50kW-class high energy laser weapon module, a specialized radar acquisition system, a beam control system and targeting sensor.
The joint industry team, which includes Rocky Research for power and thermal management, General Dynamics Land Systems for the Stryker platform, and Applied Technology Associates for additional sensors, is preparing to deliver four DE M-SHORAD units to Army Brigade Combat Teams in 2022.
“Soldiers in the field face increasingly complex threats, and our combat-proven sensors, software, and lasers are ready to give them a new level of protection,” said Annabel Flores, president of Electronic Warfare Systems for Raytheon Intelligence & Space. “The Army gave us our toughest challenge yet — countering rockets, artillery and mortars — and we took an essential step on the path to providing the maneuverable, short range air defense Soldiers need.”
“This team once again showed that the HEL system is fully-integrated and ready to provide protection against complex threats,” said Byron Bright, President of KBR Government Solutions. “With an effectively infinite magazine and near-zero cost per shot, HEL is now the proven answer to asymmetric threats like drones and mortars.”
RI&S’ high energy laser weapon systems, built in McKinney, Texas, are designed to work on land, in the air and at sea, providing 360-degree coverage that can protect bases, airports, stadiums and other high-value military or civilian assets.
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