Voting
?What about new design for our website
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
Voting Number 1647
- UAE President visits Khalifa bin Zayed II Airborne Brigade Command
- France Selects PC-7 MKX for Military Pilot Training
- Elbit America to Supply Image Intensification Tubes to U.S. Army
- Saab and ICEYE to Enhance Defence Systems with Space-Based Radar Data
- Volvo Defense Receives Major Order from Swedish Armed Forces
- Lockheed Martin Tests LRASM Integration on F-35B
- Denmark Procures Kongsberg Naval Strike Missiles
- GA-ASI Advances UCAV Development with Flight Test
- Leonardo DRS Delivers Next-Gen Integrated Voice Communication Systems
- Rheinmetall Delivers First Boxer Skyranger 30 to Bundeswehr
- Safran’s ENGINeUS 100 Becomes First EASA-Certified Electric Motor
- Collins Unveils Pro Line 21 Avionics Upgrades for Cessna Citation Jets
- U.S. Approves Sale of Long-Range Radar Systems to Egypt
- Thales Alenia Space and MBRSC Collaborate on Emirates Airlock Module
- Turkish Airlines Chooses CAE’s Unified Task Board
- L3Harris Viper Shield Completes First Flight on Block 70 F-16
- UK MOD Trials Robot Systems for Bomb Detection and Disposal
- ADNEC Group Announces BlackSky as a Supporting Sponsor for IDEX Talks
- EDGE Launches POWERTECH to Establish Global Propulsion Systems Manufacturer
- Global attention turns to Abu Dhabi next week as the largest edition of IDEX and NAVDEX kicks off
2023-07-10
Raytheon Delivers Fourth Combat-ready Laser Weapon to USAF
The U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and Raytheon, an RTX business, recently successfully tested the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) first palletised high-energy laser weapon during four days of continuous live-fire exercises at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The new palletised laser weapon was the first 10-kilowatt laser built to U.S. military specifications in a stand-alone configuration that can be moved and mounted anywhere it’s needed. Known as H4, it is the fourth operational laser weapon system that Raytheon Technologies has delivered to the Air Force and is the eighth total system the company has delivered to the U.S. Department of Defence.
The palletised laser weapon, aimed at protecting people and assets against short-range aerial threats, passed the Air Force’s Test and Assessment plan. This included multiple days of live-fire exercises to acquire, target, track and destroy drone targets in short-range attack, swarm attack, and long-range threat scenarios.
“The Air Force now has four proven laser weapons that can be deployed to stop asymmetrical threats,” said Michael Hofle, senior director of High-Energy Lasers at Raytheon. “Whether on a fixed location, a flatbed or even a pickup, these laser weapons are compact, rugged and ready to go. We are proud to support the Air Force’s effort to provide this new tech to the personnel who need it in the field.”
Small enough to fit in the bed of a pickup truck, the laser weapon system comprises a high-energy laser weapon module. This long-range EO/IR sensor also serves as the beam director, thermal control, internal electrical power, and targeting software, all packaged together for use in tough combat environments. It is operated with a laptop and a video game-style controller, and it can plug into a long list of existing air defence and command and control systems to provide a needed layer of defence.
The palletised laser weapon system was reportedly built in the world’s first laser weapon factory in McKinney, Texas. It was delivered to the Life Cycle Management Centre nine months after receipt of the order.
Raytheon Intelligence & Space’s high-energy laser systems use photons, or particles of light, to carry out military missions and civil defence. This directed energy technology enables detection and tracking of threats and positive visual identification to defeat a wide range of threats.
Visitors Comments
Related Topics
.
No Comments