The German military (Bundeswehr) has officially received a demonstrator for a high-energy laser weapon developed jointly by defence industry giants Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany. This delivery is seen as a critical step towards fielding the operational directed energy system designed for naval use by 2029.
Relocation to Land Base after Successful Sea Trials
According to a statement released by Rheinmetall, the containerised laser system was moved to the Laser Qualification Centre at the Weapons and Ammunition Technical Centre (WTD 91) in Meppen on 28 October, following a one-year trial phase completed on the German Navy’s “Sachsen” frigate.
The system conducted more than 100 live fire tests in maritime conditions, proving its ability to successfully track and engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other fast-moving targets. In these trials, the company said, it achieved a first for Europe by proving its ability to hit targets “in front of the blue sky”, which is a successful target acquisition without using the terrain as an obstacle for the laser beam.
A New Layer of Defence Against the Challenges of Modern Warfare
The laser weapon is designed to complement conventional artillery and guided missiles, particularly for defence against UAVs, swarms of UAVs, speedboats and guided missiles at close range. Rheinmetall emphasised that the weapon’s tracking capability, accuracy and speed of response against UAVs offer a solution to one of the most pressing challenges of modern warfare. Future versions could be scaled up in power to shoot down supersonic missiles, rockets and even mortar and artillery shells.
Partnership Power Distribution and Scalable Architecture
The two German companies have been sharing responsibilities in the cooperation since 2019. MBDA Germany manages target acquisition and tracking, control console and integration with command and control systems, while Rheinmetall oversees the aiming system, beam guidance, high-energy laser source and mechanical integration with naval platforms.
The demonstrator currently operates at around 20 kilowatts and is suitable for neutralising small UAVs. However, its architecture is designed to be scalable and future versions are expected to exceed 100 kilowatts in order to combat larger threats.
The system will undergo land-based drone defence tests at WTD 91. If the trials continue to meet German military requirements, Germany will join a small group of countries with operational naval laser weapons, along with the United States and Israel.
