Directed energy laser system demonstrated for U.S. Army
NewsSeptember 08, 2021
HOUSTON, Texas. KBR announced the completion of the Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) Combat Shoot-Off (CSO), which culminated with U.S. Army Soldiers executing a series of vignettes demonstrating the capabilities of a laser-equipped Stryker against representative threats in a realistic environment.
According to officials, Kord, a wholly owned subsidiary of KBR, is the prime contractor and lead integrator for the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) DE M-SHORAD program.
DE M-SHORAD is a fully mobile, 50-kilowatt (kW)-class high energy laser (HEL) designed to be capable of delivering sustained counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) and counter-rocket, artillery, mortar (C-RAM) firepower to the modern battlefield.
The Combat Shoot-Off, which ended in late July at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, demonstrated the system's ability to maneuver and engage multiple targets at various ranges utilizing state-of-the-art technologies.
Following the successful shoot-off, RCCTO announced the program is still on track to deliver a platoon of four laser-equipped Strykers by the end of fiscal year 2022.