Boeing has been awarded a contract worth approximately $7m to begin developing the initial phase for a truck-mounted laser weapon system that destroys rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds.
Under the High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HEL TD) Phase I contract, Boeing will develop and complete a preliminary design of a rugged beam control system (BCS) on a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck.
The contract, awarded by the US Army, contains options that, if exercised, will call for Boeing to build and test a significant component of the HEL TD system, comprised of the BCS integrated on a vehicle, and refine requirements for the entire HEL TD system. The options would increase the total program contract cost to approximately $50m.
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.
‘We believe this is the next step for developing a weapon system that can change the face of the battlefield,’ said Pat Shanahan, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.
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Where will all the raw materials come from for the manufacturing process? How will they be transported to the factory and what is going to be done with the various scrap and residues?