Next generation of U.S. army combat vehicles will feature laser weapon system 11311162

Defence & Security News - United States
 
Next generation of U.S. army combat vehicles will feature laser weapon system.
The U.S. Army's next-generation combat vehicle will probably run on alternative energy sources and feature directed-energy laser weapons, advanced-composite armor and an active protection system, according military experts.
     
The U.S. Army's next-generation combat vehicle will probably run on alternative energy sources and feature directed-energy laser weapons, advanced-composite armor and an active protection system, according military experts. General Dynamics Stryker MEHEL 2.0 fitted with a 5kW laser weapon system at AUSA 2016, the Association Of United States Army Annual Meeting & Exposition, in Washington D.C.
     
While laser technology is emerging for weapons, Dr. Bryan Cheeseman, said more research must be conducted on using directed-energy for vehicle protection. Cheeseman is the team leader of the Material Manufacturing and Technology Branch, Army Research Laboratory.

During AUSA 2016, the Association Of United States Army Annual Meeting & Exposition, General Dynamics has showed a Stryker 8x8 APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) fitted with a 5kW laser beam director under the project name of Stryker MEHEL 2.0. Designed to defeat emerging threats on the battlefield, Land Systems is partnering with the Space Missile Defense Command and Boeing to bring this new capability to tactical edge of the battlefield.

The laser weapon system uses its own tracking radar to acquire targets in the event that other sensors on the vehicle are disabled in combat and has an electronic warfare jamming system intended to jam the signal of enemy drones. Boeing is the maker of the fire-control technology integrated into the laser weapon. The laser is also integrated with air-defense and field artillery networks.

General Dynamics plan to have an 18-kilowatt laser firing the Stryker by 2018. Stryker weigh about 10-20 tons. The U.S. Army is planning to deploy laser weapons able to protect Forward Operating Bases (FOB) by rapidly incinerating and destroying approaching enemy drones, artillery rounds, mortars and cruise missiles.
     
The U.S. Army's next-generation combat vehicle will probably run on alternative energy sources and feature directed-energy laser weapons, advanced-composite armor and an active protection system, according military experts.