Revolutionary Laser Armament: German Navy Prototype Advances to Ground Trials Following Sea Success
After the successful conclusion of a one-year experimental phase at sea, defense firms Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany have handed over a laser prototype for the Navy to the Laser Competence Centre at the Technical Centre for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in Meppen for additional evaluations. This signifies a crucial advancement in the creation of a high-energy laser weapon system for naval applications, underscoring the strong collaboration between these two leading German technology enterprises.
Consequently, a functional laser weapon system could be accessible to the German Navy by 2029, offering a formidable and economically viable alternative to traditional guided missiles.
Owing to WTD 91’s assistance during the acceptance procedure, the prototype was successfully initiated at the Laser Competence Centre in Meppen. This marks a vital step toward achieving swift market readiness and operational capability for a future laser system tailored for the Navy.
The containerized prototype has already undergone successful testing multiple times over the past year under genuine operational conditions at sea aboard the frigate SACHSEN, validating the system’s resilience and capability. With WTD 91’s support in Meppen, the laser container has now commenced operations for additional land-based drone defense evaluations.
The laser weapon system introduces new avenues for counteracting non-cooperative targets. With its capacity to accurately and effectively neutralize drones and other small, agile entities, it tackles one of the most urgent challenges of our era. This operational laser weapon system complements cannons and guided missiles, especially for defending against drones and drone swarms, as well as targeting fast boats and, if needed, guided missiles in close quarters. In the future, it could also be upgraded with enhanced capabilities for eliminating supersonic guided missiles, rockets, and artillery shells. Distinct technologies ‘crafted and manufactured in Germany’ guarantee precise target detection and tracking, drawing from years of expertise in optics and sensor innovation.
The enduring and fruitful partnership between Rheinmetall and MBDA in the domain of laser weaponry guarantees that this advancement will come to fruition. Since 2019, both organizations have collaborated intensively to advance high-energy laser effectors. Responsibilities for the system development are nearly equally divided between the two companies. MBDA Germany manages target detection and tracking, the control interface, and linking the laser weapon prototype to the command-and-control framework. Rheinmetall’s duties include the aiming mechanism, beam directing, and the demonstrator container, as well as the mechanical and electrical integration of the demonstrator on the frigate SACHSEN and, ultimately, the high-energy laser source along with its accessories.
Successful evaluations conducted on the frigate SACHSEN demonstrated the prototype’s tracking capability, efficiency, and accuracy under actual operational circumstances for the first time in Europe, without using terrain as a beam block (‘in front of blue sky’). These evaluations encompassed over 100 live-fire tests and significantly more tracking trials. This technology has exhibited its high response speed and precision in combating drones, substantially improving the effectiveness of drone defense.
