Kord Technologies to prototype laser weapons on armored combat vehicles to kill rockets, unmanned vehicles

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – In an effort to modernize the battlefield, the U.S. Army is working with Kord Technologies in Huntsville, Ala., to put laser weapons on the ground. Popular Mechanics reports. Continue reading original article

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

10 Dec. 2021 -- The new Directed Energy Maneuver Short Range Air Defense system (DE M-SHORAD), a 50 kilowatt laser weapon on Stryker armored combat vehicles, is designed to shoot down threats like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), rockets, and mortars without using guns and heavy artillery.

Following a successful combat shoot-off earlier this year, Kord Technologies is preparing four prototypes of the laser weapons mounted on Strykers for deployment to the field in September 2022.

Once soldiers begin using this system in tactical environments, KBR engineers will take back any lessons learned from the first four prototypes and start optimizing and tailoring them for future use in defending against unmanned vehicles, rockets, artillery shells, and mortar rounds.

Related: Army ready to order eight prototype laser weapons from Kord Technologies for Stryker armored combat vehicles

Related: High-energy laser weapons move quickly from prototype to deployment

Related: Army on the lookout for enabling technologies in tactical laser weapons for light combat vehicles

John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics