Spain will develop an anti-drone laser weapon.

The Spanish Ministry of Defense has approved the advancement of the Weapons Instrument Laser Demonstrator (DIAL), a system designed to counter RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems). This project, valued at approximately 11 million euros, will be initiated through a temporary collaboration between Indra and Escribano Mechanical & Engineering.

This partnership emerged under the auspices of the General Directorate of Armaments and Materials (DGAM). Over the ensuing four years, these two entities will collaborate to conceive an innovative laser system. According to Spanish sources, the project will unfold in multiple phases, concluding by December 2027.

DIAL signifies the Department of Defense's inaugural foray into laser weaponry development. The project is allocated a precise budget of 10,980,000 euros. While intricate details regarding the weapon's specifications remain undisclosed, the Annual Defense Contracting Plan (Pacdef) sheds some additional light on this ambitious endeavor.

The program outlined in this plan mirrors an existing initiative focused on crafting a 35kW anti-drone weapon. All indications suggest a correlation between this initiative and the DIAL project referenced in Pacdef.

Simultaneous with the announcement of this allocation, the Ministry of Defense published a document on the State Contracting Platform, fielding inquiries from involved companies. These inquiries affirmed the system's purpose as an anti-RPAS mechanism. In one response, the department clarified, "The document pertains to a prototype of a comprehensive anti-RPAS system."

According to the document, the prototype will encompass an electro-optical system, guidance mechanisms, a laser guidance system integrated into the laser subsystem for beam focus, and laser firing capabilities. Additionally, it will include a direction of fire to identify the target and its range, transmitting this information to the laser subsystem. Apart from systems reliant on a direct line of sight to the target, such as the direction of fire and output beam, the entire apparatus must fit within a designated shelter.

For years, global military forces have concentrated on developing weapon systems, from drones to missiles, aimed at redefining air defense strategies.

Consider the United States, where considerable investments have been directed toward this initiative. The US Navy has commenced equipping its vessels with laser cannons. Yet, it's not solely the military; major industry players are also advancing in this domain.

Collaboration stands as a critical element. For instance, Lockheed Martin of the US and Israel's Rafael are jointly crafting a laser air defense weapon. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, MBDA and Rheinmetall have partnered to devise a naval laser system for the German navy. These represent glimpses of the broader landscape.

Spain is also aligning with this agenda. The Spanish Navy has openly expressed its intent to integrate laser weapons for air defense into its forthcoming F-110 frigates. Over the past few years, the Ministry of Defense consistently allocated funds for research and development in this realm through the Coincident program, spearheaded by the Directorate General of Armaments and Materiel (DGAM). Currently, the Pulsed Laser Center in Salamanca explores various paths for creating directed energy weapons using high-power lasers.

Spain cancels bombs sale to Saudi Arabia amid Yemen concerns

Spain said Tuesday it has canceled the delivery of 400 laser-guided bombs purchased by Saudi Arabia, amid fears that the weapons could be used against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The arms deal was originally signed in 2015 under Spain’s former conservative government, but the new center-left administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez plans to return the €9.2 million (U.S. $10.7 million) already paid by the Saudis, Cadena SER radio reported Tuesday.
A Defence Ministry spokeswoman confirmed the report, but declined to elaborate. She was not authorized to be identified in media reports.
Sanchez's Socialist party had promised to revise the country's arms deals before the new prime minister ousted his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, in a parliamentary vote in June.
The Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, visited all four countries in April this year. Two months later, his government signed the purchase of five naval corvettes that a Spanish state-owned military shipbuilder has pledged to deliver for €2 billion. The contract had been in the works for years.
As a longtime commercial ally of Saudi Arabia, Spain is the fourth-largest provider of military equipment and weapons to the Gulf state.
defensenews

USAF Wants Fire a 100 kW Laser Weapons By 2022 From a Fighter

The US Air Force wants to fire a 100-plus-kilowatt laser from a small plane.. The last laser on an airplane — the megawatt Airborne Laser, which filled a converted 747 and cancelled in 2011 — the 2022 demonstration will be fired from a fighter.
It probably won’t even be an F-35A because that’s a stealth aircraft that carries its weapons inside to give it a smaller radar cross section. Instead, the 2022 weapon will be built into an external weapons pod.
By way of comparison, the only forward-deployed laser weapon in the US military today is a 30-kW prototype installed on the broad decks of the USS Ponce, a converted amphibious assault ship now in the Persian Gulf. Lasers fired from a ship face some unique problems that an airplane doesn’t. Sea air is full of moisture, which can weaken and distort the laser beam. Higher altitude air is clearer, but airborne lasers still require sophisticated corrective optics to stay focused on their target. While the atmospherics are arguably easier for an airborne laser than a shipborne one, ships are a lot bigger than a fighter.
What can 100-plus kilowatts kill? A study from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments suggests that it could destroy enemy cruise missiles, drones, and even manned aircraft at significant ranges.
A typical modern fighter like the F-16 can carry at most six air-to-air missiles. Shoot six times, hit or miss, and it’s back to base to re-arm. By contrast, a laser-armed aircraft could just head back to the tanker.
breakingdefense

USAF Plans To Fit F-35 With Laser Weapons In The Future

USAF is on track to declare F-35 fighter jet ready for initial combat use by August or September 2016, and officials are already looking at possible future upgrades to its weapons, propulsion and avionics.
USAF plan to reach full operational capability around 2021 or 2022.
Potential upgrades in the future could include new avionics systems, radar, laser weapons and a new more fuel-efficient engine.
reuters

AC-130J Will Get 105 mm Cannon ASAP; Laser Later

Sometimes smart bombs aren’t the smart choice. That’s why the aging AC-130 gunship is still revered by ground troops for its ability to fire a 105mm cannon — a weapon normally mounted on light tanks. That’s why the head of Air Force Special Operations, decided the new model, the AC-130J Ghostrider, had to have the 105 instead of relying on missiles.
The U model, aka “Spooky,” is the classic gunship configuration with multiple cannon, including the 105 mm. The W model, aka “Stinger II,” was a special innovation for Afghanistan that had smart weapons — Griffin Missiles and Small Diameter Bombs — but no gun heavier than 30mm. The J-model Ghostrider was originally supposed to enter service looking a lot like the Stinger, with a 30mm gun, Griffins, and SDBs, but with enough spare power and room to maybe mount the 105 mm at some later point.
The venerable 105 gun is in some ways more precise than smart weapons, because its shells contain much less explosive than even the Small Diameter Bomb. Because those shells are smaller than missiles or bombs, an airplane can also carry a lot more of them. And they’re a lot less expensive than smart weapons.
As for the J-model, the first two aircraft will not have the 105mm gun installed. That’ll have to be retrofitted later.
The big gun isn’t the only upgrade the Ghostriders will need, however. They currently lack the full suite of defenses found on the older aircraft. They have chaff, flares, and lasers to blind heat-seeking missiles, the Large Aircraft Infra-Red Counter Measures (LAIRCM) system. What they don’t have is countermeasures against radar-guided missiles. The Air Force can’t simply pull the needed systems off retiring aircraft, either, because they’re hardwired in. AFSOC just put out a Request For Proposals for radio-frequency countermeasures for the J-model.
The two test aircraft flying now are “Block 10″ Js with seven crew and no 105 cannon. What’s required for Initial Operating Capability (IOC) will be the Block 20, with the 105 and two more crew, a sensor operator and the cannon gunner. The ultimate Ghostrider? The Block 40, of which anywhere from zero to seven would be built, would carry a directed energy weapon.
breakingdefense

US Navy's prototype laser weapon in operational use in Gulf

Engineers have installed a 30 kW-class laser on board USS Ponce , the USN's interim Afloat Forward Staging Base platform deployed to the Gulf
The shipboard laser will remain operational for a year, with lessons feeding into the Office of Naval Research 100-150 kW laser development programme
A laser weapon prototype installed for the first time on board a deployed US Navy (USN) ship is in use in the Gulf and proving key operational concepts, including the employment of its high-resolution optics for discriminating potential targets, officials said on 10 December.
The 30 kW-class Laser Weapon System (LaWS) was integrated onto the interim Afloat Forward Staging Base vessel USS Ponce (AFSB(I)15) in August 2014. In September, LaWS went to sea for the first time as an operational shipboard weapon.
In a video taken in November 2014 of LaWS operating on board Ponce , the system struck with a laser a ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) target flying near the ship, knocking it out of the sky in under two seconds. Sailors also demonstrated how the laser could pinpoint and destroy a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) on board a manoeuvring fast-attack craft target, demonstrating its low collateral effect.
While Ponce has not had to engage a real threat since LaWS was installed, the system remains at the disposal of the ship's captain for employment.
Designed to defend against fast swarming boats and small UAVs, the LaWS prototype - designated AN/SEQ-3 (XN-1) - has been installed on board Ponce in a semi-permanent fixture that is part of the ship's structure. "It's integrated in with the ship, using the ship's normal navigational radar and close-in weapons system (CIWS) to hand off the target to the system, so it's fully integrated," said the USN's chief engineer, Rear Admiral Bryant Fuller, who is also Naval Sea Systems Command's (NAVSEA's) deputy commander for ship design, integration, and naval engineering.
janes

U.S. Navy Deploys Its First Laser Weapon in the Persian Gulf

The U.S. Navy has deployed on a command ship in the Persian Gulf its first laser weapon capable of destroying a target.
The amphibious transport ship USS Ponce has been patrolling with a prototype 30-kilowatt-class Laser Weapon System since late August. The laser is mounted facing the bow, and can be fired in several modes -- from a dazzling warning flash to a destructive beam -- and can set a drone or small boat on fire.
Since 2011, the Navy has boosted its presence in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil flows. Equipped with naval mines and small vessels that practice swarming tactics to attack larger warships, Iranian officials have periodically threatened to close the waterway.
The Navy laser wasn’t specifically designed or deployed to counter Iran’s arsenal of small armed vessels.
Naval Sea Systems Command technicians developed the prototype over seven years at a cost of about $40 million. The Ponce crew was authorized to deploy the weapon after it passed a series of at-sea tests, including lasing static surface targets.
The prototype focuses the light from six solid-state commercial welding lasers on a single spot. It “can effectively counter surface and airborne threats, to include small boats” and drones, according to the Navy.
The device can emit progressively stronger beams, first to warn an adversary, and then destroy it if necessary.
bloomberg

TALON Laser-Guided Rockets succesfully fired from MD 530G helicopter

Raytheon successfully fired four TALON laser guided rockets from the MD 530G armed aerial scout (AAS) helicopter.
TALON LGR is a low-cost, digital semi-active laser guidance and control kit co-developed with the United Arab Emirates. TALON's guidance section integrates directly to the front of the legacy 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rockets while its unique tail kit replaces the legacy Hydra-70 wraparound tail kit.
This latest successful firing and subsequent original equipment manufacturer certification of TALON follows the recent certification in April for air worthiness release of the weapon on the Apache AH-64D/E attack helicopter.
Raytheon's TALON requires no hardware or software modifications to the launcher or aircraft platform for any aircraft that fires 2.75-inch Hydra-70 unguided rockets using the standard M260/261 launchers..
raytheon

US Army tests vehicle-mounted laser against multiple targets

The Army used a vehicle-mounted high-energy laser for the first time to successfully engage more than 90 mortar rounds and several unmanned aerial vehicles in flight.
The Army High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, or HEL MD, underwent multiple test events between Nov. 18 and Dec. 10.
This was the first full-up demonstration of the HEL MD in the configuration that included the laser and beam director mounted in the vehicle.
The HEL MD is being developed to show directed-energy force-protection capabilities against rockets, artillery and mortars, known as RAM. It is also intended to protect against unmanned aerial vehicles.
Initial system effectiveness was proven through low- and medium-power test demonstration that took place in 2011. High-power testing has now concluded at the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facility on White Sands Missile Range.
The demonstration and testing confirms the capability of a mobile solid-state laser weapon system to counter mortars, UAVs, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors mounted on the UAVs, officials said.
The recent testing utilized a 10-kilowatt class laser. In the future, a 50-kW class laser will be integrated into the HEL MD platform.
The Boeing Company is the prime contractor for the HEL MD program.
army.mil

US Air Force Seeks Laser Weapons for Next Generation Fighters

The U.S. Air Force has released a new request for a high-powered laser weapon that could be mounted on a next-generation air dominance fighter in the post-2030 era.
USAF is particularly interested in lasers that would be at technology readiness level four (TRL4) by October 2014. That means the basic components are already integrated enough to work together in a lab. But the USAF wants the laser to be at TRL5 or better by 2022, which means the system’s components could be integrated with reasonably realistic supporting elements to be tested in a simulated environment.
The USAF is interested in three categories of lasers. These include low-power lasers for illuminating, tracking, targeting, and denying/defeating enemy sensors, moderate-power laser protective weapons system, which would presumably eliminate incoming missiles and high-powered lasers for offensive operations against other aircraft or ground targets.
The development of directed energy weapons are an ongoing trend with the Department of Defense. The U.S. Navy has been working on a shipboard solid-state laser that would be demonstrated onboard the USS Ponce (AFSB-(I)-15) in fiscal year 2014 to defend the vessel against threats like small boats.
In the past, the Missile Defense Agency and USAF tested a large chemical laser onboard a modified Boeing 747 to conduct boost phase intercepts of ballistic missiles. Similarly, the USAF tested a chemical-laser weapon from a Lockheed C-130H in 2009. If the AFRL’s project bears fruit, the new laser weapons could find themselves on a next-generation F/A-XX replacement for the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
usni.org

Laser-Guided Rockets Gain Popularity

The steady progress of smart rockets continues as area-fire 70-mm unguided rockets are upgraded into precision, laser-guided weapons that are a fraction of the cost and weight of existing missiles such as the Hellfire.
The laser-guided rocket (LGR) fills a gap between guns and other missiles. It is not expensive, because large stocks of 70-mm rockets exist and all LGR designs envision using existing tubes and warheads. The LGR needs little or no integration.
aviationweek

Lockheed Martin’s prototype laser system destroyed eight small-caliber rocket targets

Lockheed Martin has successfully demonstrated the Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) system in multiple tests against free-flying Qassam-like rocket targets. The prototype laser system has destroyed eight small-caliber rocket targets in flight at a range of approximately 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) in tests conducted in March and April 2013.
Lockheed Martin is developing the transportable, ground-based ADAM laser system to provide a defense against short-range threats, including improvised rockets such as Qassam rockets, unmanned aerial systems and small boats.

lockheedmartin

U.S. Navy just two years away from arming warships with laser weapons capable of destroying incoming missiles and aircraft

The U.S. Navy is now just two years away from arming it’s ships with the first generation of ‘directed energy’ laser weapons.
The weapons are designed to track and fire on threats to a warship that could include anything from armed drones and small 'swarm' boats to incoming missiles and aircraft.


dailymail

B-747 equipado con láser falla segundo disparo de prueba/ Airborne Laser fails second shoot down test

Un Boeing 747 equipado con láser, ha fallado el disparo simulado contra un misil balístico enemigo, por segunda vez.
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A converted Boeing Co 747 equipped with a powerful laser failed to shoot down a mock enemy ballistic missile, the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said on Thursday, the system's second botched flight test in a row.
(read more)