Army taps Raytheon for laser weapon design work on FMTVs
NewsJuly 02, 2018
MCKINNEY, Texas. U.S. Army officials tapped Raytheon to develop a preliminary design of a 100 kW class laser weapon system that will integrate onboard the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTVs). The contract is worth an estimated $10 million.
"The beauty of this system is that it's self-contained," says Roy Azevedo, vice president of Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems at Raytheon's Space and Airborne Systems business unit. "Multi-spectral targeting sensors, fiber-combined lasers, power and thermal sub-systems are incorporated in a single package. This system is being designed to knock out rockets, artillery or mortar fire, or small drones."
The preliminary design that Raytheon engineers will develop falls under the U.S. Army's High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstration (HEL TVD) program contract. HEL TVD, a U.S. Army science and technology demonstration program, is part of the Army's Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 initiative. Upon HEL TVD Program Option Two completion, the one supplier will be awarded a system development and demonstration contract by the Army to build and integrate a weapon system on FMTVs.
Raytheon officials expect a system, development, and demonstration contract decision, valued at nearly $130 million, in early 2019.
