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Defense, civil government, and cybersecurity solutions firm Raytheon is developing a 100 kW class laser weapon system for the Army, to integrate onboard the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles.
The effort stems from a $10 million Army High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstration program contract.
“The beauty of this system is that it’s self-contained,” said Roy Azevedo, vice president of Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems at Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems business unit. “Multi-spectral targeting sensors, fiber-combined lasers, power and thermal sub-systems are incorporated in a single package. This system is being designed to knock out rockets, artillery or mortar fire or small drones.”
HEL TVD, an Army science and technology demonstration program, is part of the Army’s Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 initiative.
Once the development phase is completed, one supplier will be awarded a system demonstration contract by the Army to build and integrate a weapon system on the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles. The System, Development and Demonstration contract decision, valued at nearly $130 million, is expected early in 2019.
Raytheon totaled $25 billion in sales in 2017 and has 64,000 employees, providing electronics, mission systems integration, sensing, effects and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries.