Northrop Grumman developing adjustable-power laser weapons to attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

Oct. 21, 2019
Laser weapons will go on Stryker combat vehicles to protect against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), helicopters, rockets, artillery, and mortars.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. military will incorporate the newest generation of solid-state fiber optic lasers as early as 2021, according to Northrop Grumman Corp. officials. Military.com reports. Continue reading original article

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

21 Oct. 2019 -- At the annual Association of the U.S. Army meeting in Washington, D.C. last week, a Northrop Grumman official confirmed that the company has been contracted to deliver the first 50-kilowatt laser weapons to the U.S. Army.

Northrop Grumman and Raytheon both have been contracted to develop competing prototype lasers to be integrated into General Dynamics Stryker armored combat vehicles for short-range air defense.

The laser will be mounted on a platoon of four Stryker vehicles in 2022, to protect maneuvering brigade combat teams from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), helicopters, rockets, artillery, and mortars.

Related: Army on the lookout for enabling technologies in tactical laser weapons for light combat vehicle

Related: Future Stryker combat vehicles to launch attack drones, fire laser weapons, shoot air-burst ammo

Related: Laser weapons show their stuff in real-world conditions

John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics

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