Boeing supplies 5kW laser weapon system to US military

According to US media reports, Boeing, the world's largest aerospace company, recently announced that its Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) has recently completed a series of key demonstrations with the US Air Force and the Army. The latest news shows that CLWS weapons with a power of 5 kilowatts have successfully completed several demonstrations of combat capabilities, verifying that they are ready for actual deployment.



The test operator used a gamepad-like controller to lock and track small drone targets, and failed by firing a laser. Using the CLWS system fixed in a standard container, the system operator successfully destroyed about 30 targets on the first operation.
Kurt Sorenson, Boeing CLWS project manager, said: "We have received a lot of feedback about the ease of use, maturity of the CLWS system, and its seamless integration into the command and control (C2) network. Over the past year, Boeing has been Five test sites demonstrated CLWS capabilities to military personnel. They successfully destroyed hundreds of drones, with a very high success rate. "
It is reported that the CLWS system includes an integrated anti-UAV system component, including a radar system for detection and a high-resolution sensor system for target recognition / selection. During the MFIX exercise, the CLWS system successfully completed the interception operation with the help of the target verification service provided by its "steering prompt" function. This feature allows the radar sensor to tell the imaging system where the target is and engage (fire a laser).
In addition, two other high-energy laser (HEL) weapons, originally developed and delivered by Boeing, were successfully demonstrated, including the US Army's Mobile Expeditionary High-Energy Laser (MEHEL) installed on the STRYKER platform, and a large-caliber, high-power Army high-energy laser Mobile Test Vehicle (HELMTT).
Ron Dauk, project manager for laser and optoelectronic systems at Boeing, said, "Boeing's continued development in a range of high-energy laser weapons from compact laser weapon systems to high-power tactical-grade systems is a testament to the maturity of this technology area. We The proven CLWS system is ready to provide today ’s warfighters with anti-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) to enhance force protection capabilities. "

In 2018, Boeing delivered multiple CLWS system prototypes to US Department of Defense customers. As part of a limited user evaluation, these systems have been deployed overseas for nearly 6 months.