Laser weapon fire from British Army Wolfhound armoured vehicle is UK first

A Raytheon High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) has been mounted on a British Army combat vehicle and successfully tested.

Using similar technology to the Royal Navy’s DragonFire laser, but designed for the military, the new weapon is a lightweight, portable system that can be fitted to a vehicle such as the Wolfhound and used to counter drone threats.

“We have proven that Raytheon’s high-energy laser weapon system can track and engage targets when mounted on a vehicle,” said James Gray, managing director of Raytheon UK.

The tests, which were carried out at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down, saw the laser weapon fired at full power from the Wolfhound armoured truck.

It is also the first time this type of projectile has been fired from a land vehicle in the UK.

While Raytheon’s HELWS has logged over 40,000 hours of testing and is said to have shot down over 400 targets, the variant used in these trials was created for drone warfare.

The Royal Navy has also tested its own laser directed energy weapon (LDEW), known as DragonFire.

Defence Secretary John Healey said he intended to continue “the important work started under the previous administration”, such as HELWS, and take it forward in the interests of national security.

“That’s why we’re renewing important partnerships with industry and continuing to push technological boundaries,” he explained.

“This will promote prosperity and create skilled jobs across the country.”