Raytheon to develop advanced laser systems for U.S. Air Force

August 7, 2019  - By
According to Raytheon, its HELWS uses energy to detect, identify, track and take down drones. (Photo: Raytheon)

According to Raytheon, its HELWS uses energy to detect, identify, track and take down drones. (Photo: Raytheon)

Raytheon Company will deploy two prototype high-energy laser weapon systems (HELWS) to troops overseas under a $24 million U.S. Air Force contract. The U.S. Air Force’s experimentation includes 12 months of in-field operation against unmanned aerial systems and operator training.

Raytheon’s HELWS uses energy to detect, identify, track and take down drones. According to the company, the system can target a single drone with precision. The HELWS is paired with Raytheon’s Raytheon’s Multi-spectral Targeting System. Raytheon’s HELWS, which comes mounted on a Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle, uses invisible beams of light to defeat hostile unmanned aerial systems.

“Every day, there’s another story about a rogue drone incident,” said Stefan Baur, vice president of Raytheon Electronic Warfare Systems. “These threats aren’t going away, and in many instances, shooting them with a high energy laser weapon system is the most effective and safest way to bring them down.”

Raytheon, headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, is a technology and innovation company that specializes in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions.

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About the Author: Allison Kral

Allison Kral is the former digital media manager for North Coast Media (NCM). She completed her undergraduate degree at Ohio University where she received a Bachelor of Science in magazine journalism from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. She works across a number of digital platforms, which include creating e-newsletters, writing articles and posting across social media sites. She also creates content for NCM's Pit & Quarry magazine, Portable Plants magazine and Geospatial Solutions. Her understanding of the ever-changing digital media world allows her to quickly grasp what a target audience desires and create content that is appealing and relevant for any client across any platform.