The Army’s Menacing Laser Weapon Has Finally Beamed to the Battlefield
U.S. forces in Iraq now have futuristic firepower at their fingertips to counter aerial threats.
The U.S. Army has deployed its first operational laser weapon system to Iraq. Three Stryker infantry combat vehicles armed with 50 kilowatt lasers, known as DE M-SHORADS, have been deployed in response to lethal drone strikes on U.S. personnel. The brand-new systems were only delivered to the service last September.
Air Defense Laserlaser
DE M-SHORADS is meant to provide air defense overwatch for Army ground troops, protecting them from drones—both individuals and swarms. The entire 50kw laser system weighs approximately seven tons, and mounted on the Stryker, it gains armored protection and a top speed of 60 miles an hour. The weapon system is controlled via a ruggedized laptop, and the operator uses an XBox-style controller to operate the weapon.
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The use of lasers has several advantages over existing anti-drone systems. Unlike gun or missile-based systems, the laser theoretically has an unlimited number of shots, limited only by the system’s access to electricity. Lasers travel at the speed of light and do not require leading to intercept the target. The system will also not indiscriminately disrupt radio signals the way electronic warfare signal jammers do.
Tower 22 Aftermath
The DE M-SHORADS systems were made to protect U.S. positions against ongoing threats. Not only can they engage drones, the laser is also capable of engaging incoming enemy artillery in mid-flight. RTX claims it can engage RAM, or “rockets, artillery and mortars.” The system is the first in history with the ability to intercept enemy artillery shells in midair before they impact near friendly positions.
This deployment to Iraq is the first for the Army’s tiny force of laser-armed Strykers. In September, the Army assigned a platoon of four Strykers to the 4th Battalion, 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Three quarters of that force is now in Iraq. It is unknown if the vehicles are operating together or spread out among various smaller forward operating bases, such as Union III and Ain al-Asad air base.
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Kurilla admitted that the laser weapons were “not a panacea,” and encouraged the armed services to send drone-killing systems to CENTCOM—the combatant command responsible for the Middle East. “Give me systems,” he stated in a Congressional hearing, “we will experiment with them, and we will tell you if it works in a real, live environment.” If DE M-SHORADS can hold up against the rigors of real-world use, it could find wider adoption across an Army eager to find an answer to drone swarms.
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