The UK’s new laser defense system developed for the Royal Air Force successfully defeated 100 percent of threats with pinpoint accuracy during recent live-fire trials.
Designed to rapidly detect and defeat airborne threats and be fitted on various aircraft, such as the Shadow R2 and A400M transporter, the system neutralized various infrared heat-seeking missiles fired simultaneously.
The system was created by Team Pellonia — a collaboration among Leonardo, Thales, and the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).
It is equipped with a Thales Elix-IR threat warning system using algorithms to track, classify, and declare valid threats in a cluttered environment.
The system then alerts its Leonardo Miysis Directed Infrared Countermeasure to track the enemy target and directs a laser with precision targeting toward it.
Dstl’s Chief for Air Survivability Mark Elson described the tech as having the “agility to protect platforms now and into the future” as it is “enabled through Spiral Development which provides capabilities such as the Dstl developed jamming waveform that defeats the guidance of the missile threat.”
Defence Secretary John Healey said that this capability to counter airborne threats in a few seconds gives the UK an edge over adversaries. The country is “equipping our Armed Forces with the very latest technology to keep them safe and give them the advantage on operations,” he said.
“This high-tech laser is another excellent example of joint working between our Dstl experts and the UK’s defence industry,” Healey added.
The trial was conducted at the Vidsel Test Range in Sweden and witnessed by senior defense officials from different NATO member countries.
