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Raytheon Technologies and the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center successfully tested the Air Force’s first palletised high-energy laser weapon during four days of continuous live-fire exercises at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
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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 US Department of Defense.
This new palletised laser weapon was the first 10-kilowatt laser built to US military specifications in a stand-alone configuration that can be moved and mounted anywhere it’s needed.
Michael Hofle, senior director of high-energy lasers at Raytheon Technologies, explained the flexibility this new platform would bring to the US Armed Forces, saying, “Anywhere the Air Force sees a threat from drones, they now have four proven laser weapons that can be deployed to stop asymmetrical threats.”
The palletised laser weapon, designed to protect 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.
“Whether it’s on a fixed location, a flatbed or even a pickup, these laser weapons are compact, rugged and ready to go. That’s why we’re proud to support the Air Force’s effort to provide this new tech to the personnel who need it in the field, who can trust and be confident in the system’s capabilities,” Hofle added.
The technology is small enough to fit in the bed of a pickup truck, the laser weapon system comprises a high-energy laser weapon module, a long-range EO/IR sensor that also serves as the beam director, thermal control, internal electrical power, and targeting software — all packaged together for use in the toughest combat environments.
H4 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.
