Innovative Edge: Leonardo’s Type 163 Laser Target Designator for Australia’s Defence Forces
Leonardo Australia will deliver the system for the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) LAND 17 Phase 2 Digital Terminal Control System – Capability Assurance Program.
Over 800 units of the Type 163 LTD have been distributed across 27 nations, including the U.K., the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand, alongside NATO allies such as Italy, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and more recently, Germany and Norway.
Leonardo Australia has finalized an agreement with Collins Aerospace Australia to provide the Type 163 Laser Target Designators (LTDs) for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). This purchase will be fulfilled in the second quarter of 2022, following a preceding order by the ADF.
Engineered by Leonardo experts in Edinburgh, U.K., the Type 163 Laser LTD is a lightweight, streamlined, high-energy laser solution designed for ground troops that delivers an unmatched combination of high output, dependability, and mobility. The Type 163 laser target designator is crafted specifically to satisfy all modern special and conventional force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) and Joint Fires Observers (JFOs) operational demands for accurately marking and terminally directing Semi-Active Air-to-Ground munitions at distances of up to 10km.
The Type 163 LTD leverages Leonardo’s extensive experience in supplying high-energy targeting lasers for aircraft such as the F-35 and Apache helicopter, where spatial constraints, weight, and power consumption are crucial. Consequently, the resultant product offers market-leading laser designating and range-finding proficiency within a compact structure weighing only 2.3kg. This instrument emits a high-energy laser with a narrow beam divergence, and its features—designed with a focus on JTAC and JFO operations—involve instant firing upon activation and continuous lasing capability.
This system has proven its effectiveness in active operations, with over 800 units already supplied to 27 global clients, covering the UK, the US, Canada, and New Zealand, along with numerous NATO partners including Italy, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and most recently, Germany and Norway.
Leonardo stands as the global frontrunner in the high-energy military laser domain, commanding over 60% of total airborne laser sales worldwide. The organization’s offerings consist of lasers for the Lockheed Martin Sniper pod, Northrop Grumman Litening pod, and laser spot trackers intended for platforms like the Tiger helicopter. Moreover, Leonardo is a key participant in the UK Dragonfire consortium, which is advancing a laser-directed energy weapon with the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). As a founding member of Tempest, the international initiative aimed at developing a next-generation combat air system, Leonardo is currently crafting sophisticated laser-enabled capabilities as part of the new system’s Integrated Sensing and Non-Kinetic Effects (ISANKE) framework.
