The US Army has contracted HII to develop and test a high-energy laser (HEL) weapon against unmanned aerial systems in multi-domain operations.
Under this effort, the company will build a prototype to monitor, target, and neutralize threats under the Pentagon’s drone classification of Groups 1 to 3, or those weighing 1,320 pounds (599 kilograms) or less.
The open-architecture solution should have options for integration on a fixed site and/or onto a US Army land vehicle.
Furthermore, HII will deliver the technical data required for the weapon’s supporting equipment and subsystems.
Once assembled, the HEL system will be sent for field testing to assess its operational suitability and safety.
Positive results will then determine the weapon’s transition into low-rate initial production.
Work for the project will be facilitated by HII subsidiary Mission Technologies in coordination with the US Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
Bolstering ‘Force Protection’
HII noted that the entirety of the development will promote scalability, cost-effectiveness, supply chain resilience, and rapid innovation to align with the service’s modular open systems approach.
The project is expected to enable quick modifications on components and software throughout the weapon’s maturation “to meet national security demands.”
“We are proud to provide a critical enabler for the Army, delivering an effective, interoperable, sustainable and scalable system that will meet force protection requirements and support US strategic objectives,” Mission Technologies Warfare Systems President Grant Hagen stated.
“We look forward to collaborating with the RCCTO on this important effort that will protect the warfighter with an affordable counter-UAS solution.”
