Rheinmetall has successfully tested its new 50kW high-energy
weapon technology demonstrator by engaging and destroying two UAVs from a
distance of two kilometres.
The test
was conducted at Rheinmetall’s Ochsenboden Proving Groud (EZO) in Switzerland,
in snowy conditions and blinding sunlight, and was initially supposed to show
the increase in efficiency of the 50kW HEL weapon compared with the 10kW
version demonstrated last year. A five-fold increase in laser power was
available for the individual scenarios, which included Air Defence, Counter
Rocket, Artillery, Mortar/C-RAM, and Asymmetric Warfare operations.
The tests
were also intended to prove that separately located HEL weapon stations using
Rheinmetall’s existing Beam Superimposing Technology (BST) can irradiate a
single target in a superimposed, cumulative manner.
The 50kW
HEL weapon technology demonstrator consisted of two functional models: a 30kW
weapon station integrated into an Oerlikon Revolver Gun air defence turret for
static and dynamic tests, coupled with an Oerlikon Skyguard fire control unit;
and a 20kW weapon station integrated into a Revolver Gun turret of the
first-generation, patched in for static tests. There were also additional
modules for supplying power.
Furthermore,
a 15mm-thick steel girder was cut through at a distance of 1,000 metres. The
successful shooting down of several nose-diving target drones at a range of two
kilometres formed the second major highlight; the Skyguard radar detecting the
incoming unmanned aerial vehicles at a distance of three kilometres. The third
highlight of the tests was the detection, pursuit and successful engagement of
an extremely small ballistic target. Representing a mortar round, a steel ball
measuring 82 mm in diameter and travelling at approximately 50 m/sec was
engaged and destroyed in flight.
Based on
the success of the tests Rheinmetall plans to set up a company-financed 60kW
technology demonstrator in 2013 with greater laser output. Besides laser weapon
stations, the plan calls for integrating 35mm Ahead Revolver Guns into the
system. This will enable Rheinmetall engineers to identify and study possible
synergies between laser weapons and automatic cannon. The concept for a mobile
HEL weapon, which was successfully implemented with 1kW functional model
mounted on a special TM170 vehicle, will also be pursued, this time with
different mobile platforms. The objective here is to explore the parameters for
integrating an HEL weapon on vehicles operating in the open.