Laser-guided weapons are turning modern battlefields into invisible kill zones. KWESST’s latest tech aims to stop that from happening.
The Canadian defense firm has landed a contract to deliver prototypes of its next-gen Battlefield Laser Detection System (BLDS) to a major North American armored vehicle program, marking a key step toward broader deployment of the system.
BLDS alerts troops the moment they are targeted by laser-based threats like laser target designators, range finders, and beam-riding munitions.
It can be mounted on vehicles or worn by soldiers, offering flexibility for both mobile and dismounted operations.
With its compact, low-cost design, the system allows for more sensors to be deployed and networked, boosting real-time situational awareness across the battlefield.
“The modern battlefield has changed,” said KWESST CEO Sean Homuth. “Lasers are now a silent, invisible threat that can turn any soldier or vehicle into a target in seconds.”
“BLDS gives them back those seconds so they have a fighting chance.”
‘A Leap Ahead in Capability’
The current BLDS prototypes are non-networked versions and are already built, pending final paperwork. Once delivered, they will be tested in a range of real-world scenarios to evaluate how they detect and respond to live laser threats.
A fully-networked version is in development and expected to be ready for field testing by fall 2025, bringing real-time threat detection, classification, and communication across units.
The aim? To have a system that not only sees the threat but warns others too.
The company previously delivered earlier versions of BLDS to a NATO customer via a European defense integrator in 2023. But this latest order signals the first time KWESST’s next-gen laser warning system is headed for potential deployment on North American armored platforms.
“It’s a leap ahead in capability,” Homuth said. “Combining low cost in a flexible form factor… for drastically improved survivability of soldiers and high-value targets on the battlefield.”
