In what has been hailed as one of the landmark successes of UK defense capabilities, Raytheon UK, in conjunction with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and Defence Equipment and Support, announced it had conducted a successful test of a high-energy laser weapon system mounted on a British Army combat vehicle. The historic test, conducted at the Dstl’s range in Porton Down, represents the first firing of this sort of weapon from a land environment in the UK.
During testing, the HELWS, which was mounted on top of a British Army Wolfhound armored vehicle, managed to defeat targets beyond 1 kilometer. The achievement is the first of its kind for the Ministry of Defence’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon Demonstrator program, which aims to enhance British counter-drone capability against an ever-growing threat of drone warfare.
James Gray, chief executive and managing director of Raytheon UK noted the importance of this milestone: “We have proven that the Raytheon high-energy laser weapon system can track and engage targets while mounted on a vehicle.” Gray credited the collaboration with British SME partners and operationally-proven Raytheon technology for the rapid development of this capability.
The HELWS is lightweight, portable, cost-effective, and designed to defeat NATO class 1 drones. HELWS can be integrated with current air defense systems, including radar and command and control platforms, with relative ease. The fact that the HELWS has been successfully integrated with UK intellectual property from companies like Frazer Nash, NP Aerospace, LumOptica, Blighter Surveillance Systems, and Cambridge Pixel underlines the maxim that great technological potential is the product of teamwork.
The Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon John Healey MP focused on the continuity of defense initiatives. “As Defence Secretary, I want to take the politics out of national security. That is why we are renewing important partnerships with industry and continuing to push technological boundaries,” he added. Healey said that such developments would fuel prosperity and drive high-skilled jobs all around the country.
Future trials will mean that British Army soldiers are trained to use the system, as well as further mature requirements for future capabilities of the UK Armed Forces to use this potentially game-changing technology effectively.
Dstl Programme Lead Matt Cork described the testing as a major step toward future operational capabilities for the British Army, adding: “This technology offers a precise, powerful, and cost-effective means to defeat aerial threats, ensuring greater protection for our forces.”.
Raytheon HELWS is already certified for use in combat with US forces, having logged over 40,000 testing hours and downed more than 400 targets. The UK trial’s success paves the way for further integration and operational readiness, marking a significant step in the evolution of directed energy weapons.
With more than 2,000 employees in the UK, Raytheon UK continues to be one of the leading suppliers and systems integrators for the Ministry of Defence, supporting innovation and technological advances throughout the UK. A part of RTX’s Raytheon business, the company retains its commitment to redefining how we connect and protect our world.
Tests run on a high-energy laser weapon system mounted on a British Army vehicle not only underline the potential enhanced technology holds for modern warfare, but it also spells out the role of collaboration between government, industry, and academia if complex challenges to UK defense are to be met.