US laser weapons destroy UAVs as easy as eating candy

The US Department of Defense has just released a surprising video recording the scene of the 30 kilowatt ATHENA laser weapon destroying 5 UAVs at once in a test.

The ATHENA 30 kilowatt high-power laser weapon system is being developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation. This generation of weapons uses the magnifying glass effect to increase the laser power aimed at the target and quickly burn them.

The manufacturer said that ATHENA is designed to be flexible enough to attack targets in any direction, can rotate vertically to attack targets in any direction and is suitable for both Air - Navy and ground forces.

ATHENA laser weapon system.

According to the plan, by the end of 2018, the US will test a laser weapon with a capacity of up to 150 kilowatts on a gunship aircraft. Just before the impressive series of tests with the 30 kilowatt ATHENA laser weapon, the US proved to be ahead of its time when it used a high-energy weapon on a Stryker combat vehicle to destroy hundreds of mortar shells in a single test.

The new weapon system on the Stryker uses its own tracking radar, in case the radar on the Stryker is disabled during combat. In addition, the system is also equipped with an electromagnetic jamming system, to suppress enemy reconnaissance aircraft.

According to the statement of Director of Strategic Planning Tim Reese, Mr. Reese: "The energy from the laser weapon will destroy and melt different components of the target. It is expected that by 2018, Stryker vehicles will be equipped with laser weapons with a power of over 10kW".

However, this source did not say which laser weapon will be integrated on the Stryker combat vehicle, however, according to some US military sources, Boeing Corporation is the chosen contractor for the HEL MD product.

This weapon has been tested many times in foggy and windy conditions, still being able to direct the laser beam to the target and shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and nearly 100 60mm mortar shells. HEL MD has destroyed or hit 150 targets. In particular, this weapon system is fully capable of destroying anti-tank missiles.

Laser weapon on Stryker vehicle.

To detect and track targets, HEL MD uses a telescope and a wide-angle infrared camera. The operator sits in the vehicle and controls the combat system using a laptop and a Microsoft Xbox controller. The system is fully mobile, able to operate not only on roads but also on broken terrain.

And to aim in fog, HEL MD uses a reference laser that determines how weather conditions affect the combat laser. The system then changes the focus of the main laser so that it is not distorted.

Boeing engineers plan to increase the power of the next HEL MD model to tens of kW. This will take the system to a completely different level. It will be effective against enemy missiles and artillery shells, as well as against large military drones.

Clip of ATHENA 30 kilowatt laser weapon destroying a series of UAVs 01:39 01:39

According to Dat Viet Newspaper