Boeing successfully tests 5 kW laser weapon against large drones
Boeing's compact and mobile laser weapon can also combat larger Group 3 drones. The system is ready for use within a few minutes.
The Boeing laser weapon firmly mounted on a tripod.
(Image: Boeing)
At the end of September, the aerospace and defense company Boeing tested its Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) as an integrated weapon system on various drones at the U.S. Army Red Sands Experimental Center in Saudi Arabia. The CLWS was also able to combat larger Group 3 drones, drones that have a take-off weight of up to 600 kg and can fly at speeds of up to 460 km/h.
The system was integrated by two engineers on site into the US Defense Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) military system in the C2 network, which enables joint control of different short-range air defence weapon systems. For example, the CLWS can receive information from an external radar system and react accordingly. The CLWS is compatible with US and NATO systems and can be deployed in a network accordingly.
The CLWS is essentially a remote-controlled 5 kW laser that can engage air and ground targets. It can be used to mechanically damage drones at distances of between 200 and 2500 meters.
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The module comprises a control panel with a controller, a fire control system with camera, thermal imaging camera and communication and switching systems. The CLWS can be mounted stationary on a tripod or on mobile vehicles.
The system is said to have been made ready for use by two Boeing engineers in Red Sands within a few minutes, Boeing writes in a press release. It has been designed to be ready for use in a short time and an operator should be able to operate it after just one hour of training.
Combating Group 3 drones
During the training and combat firing in Saudi Arabia, the system was used against a dozen drones of two Group 3 models. Boeing did not disclose which drones were involved.
The drones flew into an air defense zone during the demonstration. The intrusion of the drones was monitored by a radar, the data from which was passed on to a control center where it was processed and evaluated. The information was then forwarded to the combat systems –, including the CLWS.
The CLWS automatically aimed at the predetermined target and fired at the drones with the laser. They are said to have been severely damaged and caught fire. Nothing is publicly known about the firing time or the target rate.
Boeing reports that the CLWS has been tested in various scenarios since it was first presented in 2015. Since then, the system has been further developed and has shot down almost 500 drones.
(olb)
