Defence contractors Rheinmetall and MBDA in Germany have delivered a naval laser demonstrator for the German Navy to the Laser Competence Centre at the Bundeswehr’s Technical Centre for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in Meppen.
This marks the project’s transition into a new testing phase after a one-year trial at sea.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Rheinmetall said in a press release that, based on current development, an operational high-energy laser (HEL) weapon system could be available to the German Navy from 2029.
In September 2024, MBDA Deutschland and Rheinmetall announced that they will bring HEL weapon system to market in the next five to ten years.
WTD 91 supported the acceptance process and commissioning of the containerised demonstrator at Meppen.
“Thanks to WTD 91’s support during the acceptance process, the demonstrator was successfully commissioned at the Laser Competence Centre in Meppen. This represents an important step towards achieving rapid market and operational readiness for a future laser system for the Navy,” Rheinmetall said.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe transition enables land-based evaluation, with a focus on counter-drone trials, following its deployment aboard the German Navy frigate, FGS Sachsen (F219), where it underwent multiple trials under operational conditions.
The trials included more than 100 live-firing events and a larger number of tracking exercises, assessing tracking capability, effectiveness and precision, including engagements “in front of blue sky” without using terrain as a beam block.
According to Rheinmetall, a laser weapon system is intended to complement cannons and guided missiles for countering drones and drone swarms, engaging speedboats and, if required, intercepting guided missiles at short range.
The system could be upgraded to destroy supersonic missiles, rockets, and mortar or artillery shells in the future, it said.
The two companies have collaborated on high-energy laser effectors since 2019, with work on the system divided roughly equally between them.
MBDA in Germany is responsible for target detection and tracking, the operator control console, and connecting the laser weapon demonstrator to the command-and-control system.
Rheinmetall’s tasks include the aiming system, beam guidance and the demonstrator container, along with mechanical and electrical integration of the unit on the deck of the frigate Sachsen and the high-energy laser source and its peripherals.
