Army’s newest laser that can fire at the speed of light

The British Army have begun test firing a new weapon able to destroy drone targets at the speed of light.

Raytheon’s High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) costs less than a cup of tea to fire, but managed to wipe out targets more than 1km away during a test fire in Wiltshire.

Fired from an armoured vehicle in Porton Down defence camp in Wiltshire, the impressive weapon uses just 10p worth of energy when it’s fired.

It could be a more affordable way of fighting, rather than missiles and bullets, which are the preferred warfare against drones.

It’s small enough to be mounted onto a two-seat buggy as well, making it easy to transport, as well as cheap to operate.

Raytheon was contracted by the UK Defence Ministry in 2021, along with Frazer Nash, NP Aerospace, LumOptica and Cambridge Pixel.

A similar laser weapon known as ‘DragonFire’ caused major damage to drones (Picture: PA)

The weapon was able to eliminate a target from 1km away (Picture: MoD)

Raytheon’s weapon is set to be integrated onto Wolfhound military vehicles, and is said to offer a nearly infinite number of shots and precision accuracy with very low collateral damage, making it an affordable alternative to traditional munitions.

If further tests prove successful in the UK, the laser weapon could be a saving grace in Ukraine, where troops are continuously running out of ammunition.

Raytheon UK said the high-energy laser weapon system has performed as designed in multiple field tests, including in difficult weather conditions with extreme heat, cold, rain, sleet and snow.

James Gray, Raytheon’s UK Chief Executive, told Aviation Week: ‘Given what we’ve learned in Ukraine over the past two years—that counter-UAS is a significant and persistent threat—the need for high-energy laser weapon systems will become a likely requirement in the air defense portfolio.’

The laser weapon can be fired from an armoured vehicle (Picture: gov.uk)

The HELWS has already been in operation with US forces and downed more than 400 targets.

Another laser weapon, named DragonFire, was unveiled in January after successfully downing drones from several miles away.

That weapon costs £10-per-shot to operate and can engage with any visible target, the MoD said.

Laser weapons emit electromagnetic energy at a wavelength that will be absorbed by the target, causing it to melt.

The laser-directed energy beam can cut through targets to disable them – or do more damage if hitting a warhead.

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