ST. LOUIS, 22 July 2008. Boeing officials announced yesterday that the company successfully completed the preliminary design of a rugged beam control system for the U.S. Army's High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD) program.

The work fell under the HEL TD Phase I contract, awarded last year to design a beam control system for a truck-mounted laser weapon system.

The objective of the HEL TD program is to demonstrate that a mobile, solid-state laser weapon system can effectively counter rocket, artillery, and mortar projectiles, Boeing officials say. The program will support the transition to a full-fledged Army acquisition program.

"HEL TD is a cornerstone of the Army's high-energy laser program, and this successful completion of the preliminary design is an important step in developing a weapon system that can change the face of the battlefield," says Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.

"While rocket, artillery, and mortar projectiles have traditionally been difficult threats to defeat, HEL TD's speed-of-light, ultra-precision capability will meet the warfighter's needs in this vital mission area," says Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Directed Energy Systems.

The contract contains options that, if exercised, will call for Boeing to build, integrate, and test the beam control system equipped with a command-and-control system on an Army tactical military vehicle, as well as develop the system-engineering requirements for the entire HEL TD system.