British Army Tests “Ground Breaking’ Laser Weapon From Armored Vehicle For 1st Time

 

At 10p a shot, British Army tests 'game-changing' laser weapon from armoured vehicle for the first time

In a groundbreaking development, British Army scientists and engineers have tested a powerful laser weapon mounted on a ground combat vehicle.

In the first test of its kind conducted in the UK, Raytheon UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence Equipment Support (DE&S) have successfully tested Raytheon's High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) on a British Army combat vehicle.

The laser weapon was mounted on a British Army Wolfhound armoured vehicle and tested at full power at the Dstl proving ground at Porton Down. This was a groundbreaking test as the laser weapon successfully neutralised targets more than a kilometre away.

The proven laser weapon only requires two people to operate and training to use it could take less than two weeks. The next stage of testing is planned for later this year as a military trial to further evaluate the system's capabilities and benefits in real-world scenarios.