UK’s first laser weapons set to be fitted on British military vehicles from next month

They are designed to counter aerial threats such as drones

The Ratheon high-energy laser weapon system. (Raytheon UK/SWNS)

Laser weapons will fitted on British military vehicles from next month.

Defence company Raytheon UK announced the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is set to receive and integrate the UK’s first laser weapon system in October.

The high-energy weapon will be integrated onto a Wolfhound military vehicle.

The system is said to offer a nearly infinite number of shots and precision accuracy with very low collateral damage, making it an affordable alternative to traditional munitions.

Designed to stop aerial threats such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - commonly known as drones - the 15-kilowatt laser is the latest development in the MoD’s Land Demonstrator programme.

Raytheon UK was initially contracted in 2021 to develop and install the laser system on the Wolfhound.

The firm says it is building on the success of U.S. investment, where a total of eight high-energy laser weapons have been delivered to the US military. These systems have defeated more than 400 targets over 25,000 operational hours.

Julie Finlayson-Odell, managing director of weapons and sensors at Raytheon UK commented: “The arrival of this transformative technology is an important milestone in our collaboration with the MoD on using directed energy to address a variety of threats, from drones and UAVs to more complex missile systems.

“This system is a culmination of decades of investment, research and innovation and its arrival reflects our continued commitment to help fulfil a key strategic objective of the UK’s Integrated Review, which is to understand how directed energy weapons can safely and effectively operate alongside other elements of the UK’s armed forces.”

Raytheon UK says the high-energy laser weapon system has performed as designed in multiple field tests, including in difficult weather conditions with extreme heat, cold, rain, sleet and snow.

During four days of live-fire exercises earlier this year in the United States, the system successfully acquired, tracked, targeted and destroyed dozens of drone targets in short-range attack, swarm attack and long-range threat scenarios.

The system is described as compact, portable, and can be installed on a variety of platforms, with the ability to connect to other air defence systems.

“With deep, rechargeable magazine and minimal logistics, this laser weapon is an affordable and viable option to protect military and critical infrastructure, and rapidly defeat threats,” says Raytheon UK.

The delivery of the first system to the UK comes as Raytheon UK officially opens its new, advanced laser integration centre in Livingston, Scotland.

The centre, first announced in July 2022, focuses on the testing, fielding and maintenance of Raytheon’s defensive laser weapons and is a regional hub established to ensure that laser weapons can be quickly fielded, maintained and repaired.