Rheinmetall and MBDA Deutschland have decided to continue their successful cooperation in the field of laser weapon demonstrator (LWD). The aim is to bring a joint maritime product to the market within the next five to six years, which opens up new possibilities, particularly in relation to drone defence on ships. Both companies are convinced that their complementary skills in the field of laser weapon technology will enable them to successfully develop a military laser weapon system. Rheinmetall and MBDA Deutschland have now concluded a corresponding cooperation agreement.
Most recently, a laser weapon demonstrator from Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany was integrated on the German Navy’s frigate 124 “Sachsen” from June 2022 to September 2023. During this on-board trial, the demonstrator performed impressively in more than 100 test shots, which proved that a laser is capable of successfully engaging targets in a maritime environment. The LWD, which is scalable to up to 20 kW, was developed, built, and integrated by RWM in partnership with MBDA Deutschland under a contract awarded by Germany’s Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) in mid-2020.
Under the ARGE industrial partnership arrangement, Rheinmetall was responsible for the laser weapon station, beam director, cooling, and packaging of the laser weapon system, while MBDA Deutschland was responsible for tracking, the operator console, and integrating the LWD to the ship’s combat management system. Sachsen was integrated with the LWD in June 2022 and initial testing took place in July to verify the capabilities of various sensors, including the electro-optical sensor suite from the ARGE and the radar. The trials programme was planned and organised by BAAINBw with support from the ARGE consortium.
Following nearly a year of tests, BAAINBw and the defence industry have gained valuable knowledge into the operational possibilities, performance capabilities and development potential of high-energy laser effectors. The prerequisites for the development of a first laser weapon have generally been set. Both companies have launched internal preparations for the development phase within their own field of responsibility. Complementing gun-based systems and guided missiles, an operational laser weapon system lends itself particularly to countering the threat from drones, drone swarms, speedboats and possibly missiles at close to very close range. In future, moreover, it could undergo a performance upgrade for destroying supersonic missiles, rockets as well as mortar and artillery rounds.
A publicly traded company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, Rheinmetall AG is an integrated technology group. Today it is leading exponent of the international defence industry as well as a driver of forward-looking technological and industrial innovation in the civil sector. Rheinmetall AG consists of five divisions: Vehicle Systems, Weapon and Ammunition, Electronic Solutions, Sensors and Actuators, and Materials and Trade. Based at 131 locations worldwide, the Group’s 28,000 employees generated sales in 2022 of around €6.4 billion. Rheinmetall AG has been listed on Germany’s DAX index of forty blue chip companies since March 2023. Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH, a component of the Group’s Weapon and Ammunition division, oversees Rheinmetall’s high-energy laser activities.
MBDA is a unique multi-national European group, a world-leader in the field of complex weapon systems, playing a key role in keeping nations safe. Created in the spirit of international co-operation, MBDA and its 14,000+ employees work together to support the national sovereignty of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, and their allies worldwide. As an accelerator for innovation, MBDA is the only European group capable of designing and manufacturing complex weapons to meet the full range of current and future operational requirements of the three armed forces (land, sea and air). Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%) and Leonardo (25%) jointly own MBDA.
