MBDA–Rheinmetall new shipboard laser weapon could enter German Navy service by 2029.

After a year of successful sea trials aboard the frigate Sachsen, Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany have moved their high-energy laser demonstrator to the Bundeswehr’s WTD 91 test center. The system is expected to evolve into an operational laser weapon for the German Navy by 2029, offering a fast, cost-efficient response to drones and other non-cooperative threats.

Düsseldorf/Schrobenhausen, Germany, 28 October 2025 - German companies Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany announced that their jointly developed high-energy laser demonstrator has been transferred to the Laser Competence Centre at the Bundeswehr’s Technical Centre for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in Meppen, following a year-long series of sea trials aboard the German Navy frigate FGS Sachsen. The transition marks a key milestone in Germany’s efforts to field a shipboard directed-energy weapon capable of defending naval assets from drones, small craft, and other emerging aerial threats. According to Rheinmetall, an operational system could be ready for the fleet as early as 2029, providing a cost-effective complement to traditional missile interceptors.
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German Navy frigate FGS Sachsen conducts sea trials with Rheinmetall and MBDA’s high-energy laser weapon system, mounted on the forward deck in a containerized module during live-fire testing in maritime conditions.  (Picture source: Rheinmetall)

The new laser weapon system, housed in a modular container and integrated onto the deck of the Sachsen-class frigate, completed over 100 live-firing trials under operational conditions at sea. These included the precise tracking and engagement of drones and other fast-moving airborne threats in scenarios where traditional guidance and terrain backstops were unavailable. The results confirm what the German Navy and defence industry have aimed to prove since launching the program in 2019: laser weapons can deliver speed-of-light engagements with accuracy, endurance, and affordability that conventional intercept systems cannot match.

Now relocated to Meppen for land-based qualification, the high-energy laser weapon system enters a new phase of development focused on countering drones and loitering munitions from fixed positions. WTD 91’s Laser Competence Centre will assess the demonstrator’s operational readiness across a wide range of environmental and tactical variables. This includes target acquisition under poor visibility, engagement effectiveness in fluctuating atmospheres, and sustained operation under high use rates. The end goal is clear: a fully operational, ship-integrated laser weapon system for the German Navy by 2029.

What sets this programme apart is its strategic intent to break the cost-asymmetry imposed by drone and missile threats. Unlike missiles or close-in weapon systems (CIWS) that rely on expensive kinetic rounds, the laser demonstrator delivers unlimited engagements powered purely by onboard energy. This creates a decisive economic and tactical advantage, particularly in scenarios involving swarming drone attacks or low-flying threats at short to medium ranges. Each engagement costs only the energy consumed per shot, removing logistical burdens and enabling continuous, layered defence.

Rheinmetall and MBDA have evenly split responsibilities in the system’s design. MBDA Deutschland leads target detection, tracking sensors, operator control consoles, and integration with the ship’s combat management system. Rheinmetall provides the high-energy laser source, beam guidance technology, aiming system, and mechanical integration, including the design of the naval deck-mounted demonstrator container. The entire package is designed and engineered in Germany, reflecting national technological sovereignty in the field of directed-energy weapons.

During the maritime test phase aboard FGS Sachsen, the system proved it could stabilize its beam, track moving threats with precision, and neutralize aerial targets against an open-sky backdrop. This achievement represents a first in European naval development, showcasing the feasibility of using directed-energy weapons in shipborne operations. The test phase also demonstrated the weapon’s capability to react within seconds, engage multiple threats sequentially, and operate without interruption — qualities essential for modern naval close-in defence.

For the German Navy, integrating this system is not simply a technical upgrade but a shift in operational doctrine. As threat vectors evolve toward faster, smaller, and cheaper unmanned systems, conventional defences face escalating costs and logistical strain. Lasers offer a fundamentally different approach: fast reaction times, silent operation, no explosive residue, and near-infinite capacity as long as power is available. In a future conflict where saturation drone attacks are expected, such a capability could prove indispensable.

The demonstrator currently operates in the 20 kW power class, suitable for neutralizing small UAVs and light surface targets. However, Rheinmetall has confirmed that the architecture is scalable. Future versions are expected to exceed 100 kW, reaching energy levels necessary to engage larger targets such as fast attack boats, cruise missiles, or even hypersonic weapons in terminal flight. This would expand the laser’s mission envelope beyond drone defence into core ship self-protection and area denial.

With the system now undergoing critical evaluations at Meppen, the roadmap points toward a procurement decision by 2027. If trials continue to meet Bundeswehr benchmarks, initial operational units could be installed on Sachsen-class or F126-class frigates by 2029. This would make Germany one of the few nations worldwide with a fielded, operational naval laser weapon system, joining ranks with the United States and Israel.

For now, German companies Rheinmetall and MBDA’s success in transitioning from sea trials to ground-based operational testing sends a clear message: directed-energy laser weapons are no longer theoretical. They are maturing into real-world capabilities with the potential to change how navies defend themselves in the 21st century.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.