Raytheon secures Air Force laser systems contract

The Air Force awarded Monday a contract to Raytheon Company to provide a pair of prototype high energy laser weapon systems (HELWS) to overseas troops.

The effort includes 12 months of in-field operation against unmanned aerial systems and operator training, noting Raytheon’s HELWS uses pure energy to detect, identify and instantly take down drones and is paired with Raytheon’s Multi-spectral Targeting System.

“Every day, there’s another story about a rogue drone incident,” Stefan Baur, vice president of Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems, said. “These threats aren’t going away, and in many instances, shooting them with a high energy laser weapon system is the most effective and safest way to bring them down.”

The system uses invisible beams of light to defeat hostile UASs. It is mounted on a Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle as a means of detecting, identifying, tracking, and engaging drones.

Raytheon successfully demonstrated proficiency of its directed energy systems for the Air Force and the Army. The company provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries.

The defense and cybersecurity technology leader currently has 67,000 employees and garnered 2018 sales totaling $27 billion with 67,000 employees.