Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) has engaged and neutralized Group 3 Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UASs) for the first time. This is a significant development in counter-drone technology as Group 3 UASs, which can weigh up to 1,320 pounds, present a greater threat due to their capacity to carry heavier and more sophisticated payloads. The successful demonstration took place at the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in Saudi Arabia, where the CLWS, equipped with a 5-kilowatt laser, effectively neutralized the Group 3 drones.
Prior to the demonstration, a pair of Boeing field engineers integrated the system with the Army’s Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) Command and Control (C2) network, allowing the CLWS to receive real-time cues from a radar system for swift and accurate targeting. The annual counter-UAS exercise, RED SANDS, jointly hosted by U.S. Central Command and the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces, provides a platform to evaluate industry capabilities against hostile drones in a real-world environment. Ron Dauk, program manager for Boeing’s Directed Energy portfolio, said: “There’s no substitute for getting to work alongside service members in real theatre conditions where you have desert heat, dust, atmospherics—you name it—to fine-tune our c-UAS systems and show what they can do. As the only directed energy system at RED SANDS, CLWS again showed that it fits a warfighter need as an important piece of the broader layered air defense puzzle on the modern battlefield.”
The RED SANDS success follows a series of achievements for the CLWS, including participation in a counter-UAS challenge at Fort Drum, New York, and a multi-year deployment with the U.S. Marine Corps. The CLWS has neutralised nearly 500 drones to date, ranging from Group 3 and first-person-view drones to drone swarms, across various demonstrations, scenarios, and environments. Operators require minimal training, as little as one hour, to effectively operate the system using an Xbox controller.
This combat-proven system boasts capabilities such as engaging threats at distances from 650 feet to 1.6 miles, compatibility with U.S. and international integrated C2 requirements, adaptability to both fixed containerized and mobile configurations, and the ability to detect and defeat single and multiple UASs simultaneously. The success of the CLWS at RED SANDS signifies a major step forward in countering the evolving drone threat.
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