PREVIEW

The ground-breaking test took place at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl’s) range in Porton Down, where the Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) neutralised targets at distances over 1km. The high-energy laser, mounted on a British Army Wolfhound armoured vehicle represents a significant advancement in the UK Ministry of Defence’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon Demonstrator programme.

This lightweight, portable high-energy laser system is the first of its kind integrated onto a land vehicle and fired in the UK. The system can track and engage multiple targets faster than the speed of light - then shoot them down with its laser. The next phase of testing will involve trials with Army personnel later this year to further assess the system’s capabilities in real-world scenarios.