(DoD photo by Markus Rauchenberger, U.S. Army/Released)
As part of the U.S. Army’s High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator (HEL TVD) Program, Raytheon is developing a 100kW class laser. The laser will help protect the U.S. Army’s family of medium tactical vehicles. The laser, expected to cost $30 per kill on average, will reduce the cost per engagement for the Army and help counter inexpensive threats that would exhaust magazines of current defense kinetic energy weapons.
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is developing a 100 kW class laser weapon system preliminary design for integration onboard the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles. This is a $10 million U.S. Army’s High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstration program contract.
HEL TVD, a U.S. Army science and technology demonstration program, is part of the Army’s Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 initiative.
“The beauty of this system is that it’s self-contained,” said Roy Azevedo, vice president of Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems at Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems business unit. “Multi-spectral targeting sensors, fiber-combined lasers, power and thermal sub-systems are incorporated in a single package. This system is being designed to knock out rockets, artillery or mortar fire, or small drones.”
Upon HEL TVD Program Option Two completion, the one supplier will be awarded a system development and demonstration contract by the Army to build and integrate a weapon system on the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles. A System, Development and Demonstration contract decision, valued at nearly $130 million, is expected early in 2019.
Source: Raytheon
Steve Schneider
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