Featured Image Credit: Ministry of Defence
Topics: Technology, Military, Science, UK News
Emily Brown
The defence secretary in the UK has revealed the successful test of a laser beam weapon which hit its target at the speed of light.
The poor target never even saw that laser coming.
The tests took place at a Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) range in Wiltshire, UK, after the laser was developed by the American defence company Raytheon in collaboration with UK suppliers.
Described as lightweight, portable and high energy, the laser is the first weapon of its type integrated on a land vehicle to be fired in the UK.
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By mounting the laser on to an armoured vehicle - or other various platforms - those firing the weapon have an 'increased operational advantage' when firing it out on the battlefield.
Not only can it be operated from the vehicle, but the laser is also capable of tracking multiple targets and striking from more than 1km (0.6 miles) away, moving faster than the speed of light.
The UK government described the laser as a 'major leap forward in the UK Ministry of Defence’s Land Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Demonstrator programme' as it announced the news of the tests in a statement.
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Dstl chief executive, Dr Paul Hollinshead OBE MBA, commented: "This is another significant milestone in accelerating the adoption of directed energy weapons.
"Working ever closer with DE&S (Defence Equipment & Support) and industry to develop critical new capabilities, we are preparing the armed forces for the future so they can detect, disable and destroy future and novel threats."
The laser is low cost, fully portable and easy to operate, and will allow the Ministry of Defence - along with the British Army - to understand the utility of LDEW systems against an evolving threat, the statement explained.
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James Gray, chief executive and managing director of Raytheon UK, also commented on the success of the tests as he said: "In successfully firing the first laser weapon integrated on a land vehicle in the UK, Dstl has proven that the Raytheon high energy laser weapon system can track, engage and defeat targets whilst mounted on a vehicle
"We now look forward to the British Army experimenting with the weapon over the coming months and proving that the technology is battlefield ready."
Following the initial tests, the Ministry of Defence is set to undergo trials of the laser with Army personnel later this year to further evaluate how the system may prove useful in real-world scenarios.