High Energy Laser Weapon Systems (HELWS) prototypes will be put through a year of testing and training by US Air Force personnel overseas before battlefield deployment. Arms manufacturer Raytheon said HELWS can be powered by either a standard 220-volt outlet or a generator.
The laser comes with a sophisticated targeting system with an infrared sensor to track and identify enemy drones and can fire “a nearly infinite number of shots”.
A Raytheon spokesman said: “Laser weapon systems work on land, in the air and at sea, providing 360-degree coverage in a rugged package that can scale to the demands of the mission.
“Their open architecture means they can be installed immediately on a variety of military platforms.
“They have already been tested on small army vehicles and the Apache attack helicopter.”
Armed drones have become a global security threat with the recent devastating attacks on Saudi Oil facilities being carried out using the relatively inexpensive weapons.
They are frequently used by Syrian militants to attack government forces and their allies.
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Raytheon’s president Roy Azevedo said: “Five years ago, few people worried about the drone threat.
“Now, we hear about attacks or incursions all the time. Our customers saw this coming and asked us to develop a ready-now counter-UAS capability.
“We did just that by going from the drawing board to delivery in less than 24 months.”
The target illuminating radar is designated to detect and track small-size and contrast targets with a radar cross-section of 30cm with a wide range of speeds and the ability to fly at low and ultra-low altitudes.
The equipment features a compact multi-channel radar, a rotating device to provide for a panoramic view and a control notebook.
The radar can be operated manually and in the automated mode and up detecting a target the device transmits data to a command post or a control centre.