For many years, the US defense industry has been developing and improving promising combat lasers suitable for use in various fields. Some samples of this kind have already been able to reach the stage of testing and refinement, and are now showing their potential at test sites. The latest news in this area concerns the MEHEL program, which provides for the installation of a high-power laser on a mobile platform in the form of a serial armored personnel carrier.
On March 21, Washington hosted an event called Booz Allen Hamilton Directed Energy Summit, the theme of which was promising projects of the so-called. directed energy weapons. Colonel Dennis Will, the head of the G3 Advanced Development Program for the European contingent of the US Army, spoke along with other speakers. He spoke about the events of the most recent time and the new demonstration of one of the American military lasers.
Combat laser complex Stryker MEHEL. Photo US Army / army.mil
According to Colonel Will, last weekend (March 17 and 18), personnel of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 7th Army Training Command, with the assistance of specialists from the Fort Sill test site (Oklahoma), arrived in Germany to demonstrate the latest American development. Demonstration firing with the participation of the promising Stryker MEHEL combat vehicle took place at the German Grafenwehr training ground.
As part of this demonstration, a combat vehicle armed with a MEHEL 2.0 laser complex was supposed to monitor the airspace and look for unmanned aerial vehicles. Then their defeat was carried out. Commercial drones of popular models, which have become widespread in various fields, were used as targets. Thus, the new laser complex was able to show its capabilities in an environment that is as close to real as possible.
Colonel D. Will said that during the demonstration "shooting" the combat laser shot down a dozen unmanned aerial vehicles that invaded his area of responsibility. In general, the past event can be considered successful.
However, there were some difficulties. As the head of the G3 program noted, during combat training and test firing, certain restrictions on range and height have to be imposed. Without such restrictions, there is a risk of damage to civilian aircraft. A large number of air routes pass over Germany, and therefore, in order to avoid accidents, the laser system should only work in limited areas.
The car at the training ground. Photo US Army / army.mil
D. Will also noted that the United States defense industry should continue to work on weapons systems that use the new operating principles. Thus, it is necessary to develop existing and promising laser systems, as well as to work out other directed energy weapons.
The latest demonstration of a promising American-designed laser complex has once again shown its capabilities and potential. Currently, the Stryker MEHEL system remains at the stage of various field tests, but in the near future it is planned to bring it to mass production and relatively mass operation in the army. Armored personnel carriers with a special laser installation will have to strengthen the existing military air defense, taking on the task of finding and destroying especially difficult targets.
The MEHEL project (Mobile Expeditionary High Energy Laser) was launched several years ago in the interests of the Army. The goal of the program from the very beginning was to create a compact but powerful laser installation capable of hitting various small-sized targets. With its help, it was supposed to protect troops from small unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery shells and mines, small-caliber missiles, etc. Thus, the MEHEL complex had to fight against targets against which the existing air defense systems are powerless.
The MEHEL project is being carried out by a number of American companies. So, General Dynamics Land Systems is responsible for the supply and adaptation of self-propelled platforms for laser. Other organizations are also involved as subcontractors. For example, the fire control system was developed by Boeing. Various scientific and research structures of the armed forces play a significant role in the project.
View to the other side. Photo US Army / army.mil
The carrier of the laser complex was the M1131 Fire Support Vehicle, which is in service with the US Army. In its original configuration, it carried a rifle-caliber machine gun, as well as a large-caliber system or automatic grenade launcher. To use a fundamentally new weapon, it was not necessary to abandon the existing barrel systems: the installation with a laser emitter is mounted on the roof of the hull, at a certain distance from the main combat module.
Various units of the MEHEL complex are mounted both inside the body of the base machine and on its surface. So, on the frontal part of the hull, at the starboard side, several rectangular casings with antenna devices are placed. Several more antennas with telescopic masts are located on the sides and in the stern, and one of them receives a characteristic cylindrical casing. Also, the external equipment includes an optoelectronic station and a combat laser itself. Detection and surveillance equipment is proposed to be mounted in the rear of the "Stryker", while a device with a laser is mounted directly behind the control compartment, on the roof of the hull.
Demonstrated at various events, the MEHEL combat laser does not differ in the particular complexity of the units. A U-shaped turntable is attached directly to the roof of the carrier body using a special bracket. It is able to rotate around a vertical axis, providing horizontal guidance. A swinging block with a laser is located between the side posts of such a support. The block received the simplest rectangular body with a rounded bottom. There is a pair of lenses on the front of the case. There is a small visor above them.
Self-propelled laser system on the track. Photo Armyrecognition.com
Controls and other equipment are mounted inside the body of the armored vehicle. Control over the operation of the laser and other systems is carried out using a remote control. Electricity is taken from the standard sources of the carrier platform. All stages of preparation for combat work and subsequent "shooting" are carried out using remote control means; you do not need to leave the car.
Together with other equipment, the complex includes certain automation tools. It provides for the possibility of automatic tracking of a moving target, first of all, necessary for its accurate defeat. An automated search for air targets is also possible, in which all the main work is carried out by electronics, and the load on the operator-gunner is sharply reduced.
Its own radar station and optoelectronic system are used as search and guidance tools. They provide tracking of the air situation at any time of the day and regardless of the weather. According to the data from these means, the laser is guided and the target is tracked or hit. Communication means ensure the reception of target designation from third-party sources. The received target data is immediately transmitted to the fire control system.
The combat laser is supplemented by electronic means, which are also capable, at least, of interfering with the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Stryker MEHEL machine carries an electronic warfare system designed to suppress communication channels. By drowning the communication between the UAV and the operator's console, the laser complex facilitates further work and simplifies target engagement.
The actual laser installation. Photo Armyrecognition.com
The first information about the assembly of the experimental Stryker MEHEL combat vehicle and about its tests at the test site appeared at the beginning of 2016. Then official sources in the Pentagon reported that a new type of laser, designed to destroy various air targets, develops a power of 2 kW. This was enough to solve some problems, but in the course of the further development of the project, it was planned to increase the capacity several times.
A few months later, the prototype received new equipment, built according to the MEHEL 2.0 project. The updated laser complex externally differed little from the product of the first version, but at the same time it had to show higher characteristics. The emitter power was increased from 2 to 5 kW. In addition, the developers indicated that they do not intend to stop there. In the spring of last year, it was announced that in 2018 the laser power would be increased to 18 kW with a corresponding increase in combat effectiveness.
About a year ago, the second version of the laser complex went to the Fort Sill test site to demonstrate its capabilities and test the main technologies. Helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles similar to those on the mass market were used as training targets during such tests. Despite the fact that the power of the MEHEL laser at that time was far from the desired one, already during the first check, the complex managed to inflict the most serious damage on the target and make it fall. Subsequently, several other UAVs fell victim to the new air defense system.
Tests of the prototype Stryker MEHEL - primarily, its new combat equipment - are still ongoing. Just a few days ago, this sample was sent to Germany for demonstration at a foreign test site. Now, the Stryker is likely to be returned home to the United States, where testing will continue. It is quite possible that in the near future the next field demonstrations and tests will take place.
The process of "firing" at the UAV, observed with a thermal imager. Photo Armyrecognition.com
The range of "firing" from a combat laser, which has not yet developed its design power, has been going on since 2016, and during this time very remarkable results have been obtained. Each fact of hitting a target drone is recorded with a sticker on the vehicle's armor. Prior to recent checks in Germany, the Stryker MEHEL had evidence of 64 successful interceptions. Most of the targets were hit in 2017. Basically, the vehicle “fired” at a helicopter-type UAV. The number of small-sized remotely controlled aircraft was several times less.
Probably, in the future, new stickers with different patterns may appear on the prototype. In the very near future, the authors of the project plan to bring the power of the MEHEL 2.0 laser to the calculated 18 kW, which will significantly increase the combat effectiveness of the system. An increase in the radiation power will entail an acceleration of the heating of the target and a reduction in the time required for its destruction. It is assumed that such an improvement in the laser will allow solving new problems and significantly expanding the range of targets hit.
So far, the combat laser has been tested only on light small-sized drones, built mainly of plastics and composites, and also not distinguished by high flight speeds. However, according to the customer's plans, the Stryker MEHEL system in the future will have to deal with larger aircraft, unguided missiles and artillery shells. To defeat such targets requires the transfer of more energy over an increased distance. In addition, their flight data drastically reduces the allowable reaction time.
In the event of a successful solution of such tasks, new combat vehicles with special electronic and laser equipment can go into series and go into service. The Stryker MEHEL complex is considered as a new means of air defense for troops on the march and at base points, complementing other complexes. Thus, the "traditional" air defense targets will be taken over by the existing systems, and the combat laser will fight against new threats. It is assumed that the first to receive new technology will be the forward bases exposed to the greatest risks.
Stickers for successful interception of air targets. Photo Vk.com/typical_military
The Pentagon has already managed to draw up rough plans for the future deployment and use of new technology, but the project is still far from completion. At the moment, the prototype of the Stryker MEHEL machine is being tested at various test sites, but is still not ready to work "at full strength". The current power of the laser emitter is more than three times less than the calculated one, and to achieve the latter, new work, waste and, of course, additional time are required.
However, the authors of the project are optimistic about the future. According to various estimates, development work may be completed by the beginning of the next decade. After that, having received an order, the industry will have to expand the production of new equipment. It is not known whether it will be possible to produce it in large quantities. Nevertheless, within a few years, manufacturers will be able to provide the required machines for all the parts that need them.
According to current plans, this year the power of the MEHEL 2.0 combat laser should reach the calculated 18 kW. This means that there are no more than a few months left before the first tests of the improved system. Whether it will be possible to complete the work on time and get the desired results - we will find out in the near future.
