Posted on 10/29/2025 8:41:55 PM PDT by Red Badger
The containerized demonstrator has already been successfully tested several times.
The weapon could also be equipped with greater capabilities and be used to destroy supersonic guided missiles. Rheinmetall/Wikimedia Commons
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Ademonstrator laser weapon, which can fry enemy drones, has been delivered to Germany. The weapon is expected to be deployed for operational use starting in 2029.
Developed by Rheinmetall and MBDA, the laser weapon could serve as a powerful and cost-effective addition to conventional guided missiles.
The weapon’s effectiveness and precision have been proven under real operational conditions in over 100 firing tests.
High-energy laser weapon system for maritime use
The delivery of the latest system marks a major step in the development of a high-energy laser weapon system for maritime use, and highlights the strong partnership between the two German technology companies. The system successfully completed a one-year trial phase at sea.
Defense contractors Rheinmetall and MBDA in Germany transferred the laser demonstrator for the Navy to the Laser Competence Center at the Technical Center for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in Meppen for further testing.
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.
Laser weapon system offers new possibilities
Rheinmetall highlighted that the containerized demonstrator has already been successfully tested several times over the course of a year under real operational conditions at sea on board the frigate SACHSEN, proving the system’s robustness and performance. With the support of WTD 91 in Meppen, the laser container has now been put into operation for further land-based drone defense testing.
The companies pointed out that the laser weapon system offers new possibilities for counter-operations against non-cooperative targets. With its ability to precisely and effectively neutralize drones and other small, fast-moving targets, it addresses one of the most pressing challenges of current time.
An operational laser weapon system complements cannons and guided missiles, particularly for the defense against drones and drone swarms, as well as for attacking speedboats and, if necessary, guided missiles in the closer and immediate vicinity, according to a press release.
Weapon could also be equipped with greater capabilities
The companies have claimed that the weapon could also be equipped with greater capabilities and be used to destroy supersonic guided missiles and rockets, as well as mortar and artillery shells. Unique technologies ‘designed and made in Germany’ ensure precise target detection and tracking, based on years of expertise in optics and sensor technology.
The demonstrator currently operates at approximately 20 kilowatts, which is suitable for neutralizing small unmanned aerial vehicles and light surface targets. However, the architecture is designed to be scalable, with future versions expected to exceed 100 kilowatts for engaging larger threats, reported Defense News.
MBDA in Germany is responsible for target detection and tracking, the control console, and connecting the laser weapon demonstrator to the command-and-control system. Rheinmetall’s responsibilities, however, include the aiming system, beam guidance, and the demonstrator container, as well as the mechanical and electrical integration of the demonstrator on the deck of the frigate SACHSEN and, ultimately, the high-energy laser source, including its peripherals, as per the release.
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Reports say that Ukraine and Russia both produce 5,000 to 10,000 drones per day, used across a front over 800 miles long.
The German 20-KW Laser is similar to US Lasers like HELIOS, ODIN and SSL-TM.
They have theoretical ranges less than three miles and can be degraded by such atmospheric conditions as fog & smoke.
Spaced evenly across Ukraine's 800+ mile front, it would take several hundred such lasers to provide consistent coverage under even ideal conditions.
US laser weapons have been tested for many years but have not been fully deployed, largely because they are far from "magic bullets" or "wonder weapons" that can, at one stroke, solve all the potential problems of mass-produced drones.
Impressive sets bomb use back for fast results.
I suspect it is a 10K Joule device.
According to Chat GPT, the laser in question is indeed a 10kW device capable of delivering 10kJ every second. That’s quite a punch.
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