Bring on the high-energy laser!

Effectively countering enemy weapons is of central importance for freedom of action in combat operations and for establishing one’s own superiority in effectiveness. On July 9, 2026, a milestone was reached in this regard: The President of the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology, and Utilization of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), Annette Lehnigk-Emden, signed a contract with the manufacturers MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH to develop a revolutionary, laser-based weapon system.

The High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HLWS) is being developed as a modern means of engaging highly agile air, sea, and land targets. The increasing use of drones in combat in Ukraine and, most recently, the hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz underscore the importance of such a defense system. The HLWS is not only “first of its class” but also “first of its kind”—the first laser weapon to be developed and procured for the Bundeswehr.

The initial plan is to install the system on a Navy ship. By the end of the contract, the goal is to have a weapons system that has been fully accepted and certified and can be handed over to the Navy for operational use. At the same time, the HLWS is intended to serve as a technological starting point for further laser weapon systems, both for the Navy and for mobile or stationary applications on land.

Laser weapons destroy their targets by directing a precise and focused laser beam at a preselected point. This creates such a high concentration of heat at that point that materials melt, structures are weakened, or electronics are damaged. The advantages of laser weapons are their high precision and the low cost per engagement (a small amount of fuel instead of hundreds of thousands of euros for a guided missile). Furthermore, lasers act instantly, leaving the enemy virtually no time to react.

BAAINBw President Annette Lehnigk-Emden comments: “Laser weapons have the potential to be an effective and efficient means of engaging targets. Where drones and complex threat scenarios push proven defense systems to their limits, laser weapon systems are increasingly becoming the focus of military development and testing. The Bundeswehr and its partners are working intensively to make these systems operational.”

The project began in 2018. A demonstrator developed by the contractors is known as HoWiSM (High-Precision and Scalable Effect Against Agile/Low-Signature Targets in the Near and Immediate Range of Floating Platforms). It was installed on the frigate SACHSEN in 2022 for testing and underwent trials there for over a year under real-world environmental conditions. During this time, the vessel covered more than 28,000 nautical miles in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Mediterranean, and successfully fired well over 100 test shots. The German Navy refutes rumors that the ship is nicknamed the “Death Star SACHSEN” because of its laser.

The HLWS is scheduled to be installed and commissioned in 2029.

MBDA online

RHEINMETALL online