U.S. Army demonstrates integration of laser weapon on combat vehicle

The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) Technical Center's Air and Missile Defense Directorate participated in the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization (JIDO) UAS Hard-Kill Challenge for laser weapons and vetronics at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. During the challenge, the Mobile Expeditionary high-energy Laser (MEHEL) 2.0 demonstrated its counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capability. MEHEL, a laser test bed on a Stryker-armored fighting vehicle chassis, serves as a platform for research and development. MEHEL 2.0 is an improved version of the original with a laser upgraded from 2 to 5 kilowatts and other added C-UAS capabilities.