The Boeing Company has developed a laser system capable of destroying improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
During a recent test, the truck-mounted Laser Avenger successfully neutralized multiple IEDs, including large-caliber artillery munitions, smaller bomblets and mortar rounds.
“Improvised explosive devices continue to threaten US troops deployed in war zones, and Laser Avenger provides the ultra-precision, stand-off capability our warfighters need today to safely neutralize those threats,” explained Boeing spokesperson Gary Fitzmire.
“In addition, the Laser Avenger’s versatility makes it useful in a wide range of battlefield conditions.”
According to Fitzmire, the Laser Avenger previously tracked and downed three UAVs flying against a “complex background” of mountains and desert.
“Small UAVs armed with explosives or equipped with surveillance sensors are a growing threat on the battlefield. Laser Avenger, unlike a conventional weapon, can fire its laser beam without creating missile exhaust or gun flashes that would reveal its position,” added Fitzmire.
The formidable Laser Avenger operates by integrating a directed energy weapon with a kinetic air defense system developed by Boeing Combat Systems in Huntsville, Ala.
