Military.com – The Army is working on a powerful new 100-kilowatt laser system to defend against enemy missiles, artillery and drone swarms but will eventually have to make it smaller and lighter to deploy.
“We’re trying to get it small enough and efficient enough to put on a platform,” Robert Snead, an engineer with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command based at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, said Thursday, referring to the High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator (HEL TVD), which the service described as being in the “pre-prototype” stage.
He said testing of the HEL TVD “will inform the Army’s decision on how to use directed energy on the battlefield.”
The system, currently mounted on a cumbersome six-wheeler truck, is not deployable, Snead said, adding that the design could change substantially to make it capable of being fielded on a tactical vehicle. He spoke at the annual “Lab Day” display of military technology in the Pentagon’s courtyard.
