Foreign media reported that the us army is developing a new 100-kilowatt laser system called HEL TVD (high energy laser tactical vehicle verifier) to defend against enemy missiles, artillery and unmanned aerial vehicles. The laser weapon system is still in the “pre-prototype” stage and is scheduled to be tested in 2022.
For years, the army has been working on targeted high-energy lasaer pointer weapons, which are estimated to cost much less to operate than existing systems, at just $30 per launch. High-energy laser systems can do their job with only fuel, without the ordnance logistical burden of conventional weapons.
HEL TVD is equipped with a combat management communications, command and control subsystem that receives target indication and distribution data from the radar and then points the laser beam at the target. Currently mounted on a bulky six-wheeled truck, the system is not easy to deploy, and its design could change significantly in the future to allow the entire system to be deployed on tactical vehicles.