Pentagon "offers rewards" for finding super anti-UAV weapons

US Army officials are counting on funding recently approved by both houses of Congress to hold a competition to pursue the first high-energy laser weapons system focused on countering drones.

Over the past five years, the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technology Office (RCCTO), has built various directed energy prototypes.

From 10-kilowatt pallet systems for fixed sites to 20- to 30-kilowatt laser systems mounted on small tactical vehicles, to 50-kilowatt systems on Stryker-based mobile short-range air defense vehicles.

A Stryker armored vehicle equipped with a 50 kW laser system during a test by the US Department of Defense . Photo: Jim Kendall - US DOD.

The office also continues to develop 300-kilowatt lasers, as well as high-power microwave capabilities, to counter a variety of threats such as drones, artillery and cruise missiles.

Of the 17 prototypes developed through the office, the Army has deployed 11, including four M-SHORAD Directed Energy systems to the U.S. Army Central Command area of operations.

Through operational testing, the Army concluded that directed energy weapons have great potential, especially because of their extremely low cost per shot and high natural magazine depth.

The M-SHORAD system is capable of integrating various technologies to intercept UAVs. Photo: Leonardo DRS

But right now, the ability to sustain the system in the harsh and dirty environments of the battlefield is a fatal weakness, and the US defense industry is not yet ready to produce them at scale.

The Army decided to pursue the “Sustained High Energy Laser Program” to address those specific challenges and transition the capability from prototype to fieldable system.

“We have to continue to push harder, we have to continue to partner with the warfighter. We have to continue to partner with industry to develop directed energy platforms and focus on areas of reliability,” Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, director of the RCCTO, said Wednesday at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium.

So the goal of the competition is clearly to spend money to get laser weapon systems that are both effective and extremely rugged.

The U.S. Army plans to release initial capability documents to industry within the next 60 days and is also updating the general notice to seek a qualified contractor.

Another important thing is that this competition considers a modular approach to components and requires the industry to design systems with replaceable units.

The US military is looking to modular systems that can be mounted on any combat vehicle. Photo: Army Reconition

“Testing in operational scenarios has provided a deeper understanding of the components of the laser system,” said Col. Adam Miller, RCCTO’s directed energy programs manager. “The optics on these systems are one of the areas with the highest failure rates and one of the challenges we face.”

So, by opening the design competition, the US Army wanted to create an opportunity for exposure, so that soldiers could quickly grasp, operate and repair when necessary.

The system also needs to be interoperable in the sense that the laser suppliers will not be vehicle integrators, like many are tasked with during prototyping.

“We separated the vehicle from the laser in this competition, so if the Army wanted to put it on a robot or a tactical vehicle, that would be possible with some modifications and adjustments to the size, weight, and power,” said Col. Miller.

The competition also aims to ensure a common and open user interface, he added, and will challenge industry to design systems that are ready for large-scale production.