QinetiQ is investing £20 million to accelerate the development and production of laser directed energy weapon technology, the company stated.
The company said the company-funded investment would expand both its product portfolio and production capability to support future laser weapon programmes in the UK and allied markets. It will increase development and production capacity at QinetiQ’s sites in Farnborough and Malvern.
At the Farnborough International Airshow, QinetiQ unveiled HELENA, a new brand name for its coherent beam combination high energy laser source products. According to the company, these laser sources are the critical component of any laser directed energy weapon system, which can be used to defend against drones and other advanced threats.
QinetiQ said it has more than 25 years’ experience in developing the technology and remains a member of the UK’s DragonFire consortium alongside MBDA and Leonardo, which is due to deliver laser weapon systems onto Royal Navy ships from 2027.
According to the company, laser directed energy weapons offer a low cost per shot and a near-infinite magazine depth, complementing existing air defences and helping in particular to counter the low-cost drones seen widely in modern conflicts.
Steve Wadey, Group CEO of QinetiQ, was quoted in the press release as saying: “Directed Energy Weapons are quickly moving from development to deployment to change the game in battlefield economics against the drone threat, and QinetiQ has been at the forefront of this technology for two decades.”
He added: “The investment announced today demonstrates our commitment to accelerating both the development and manufacture of sovereign laser technology, ensuring we can meet the growing demand from the UK and our international allies and provide them with the operational advantage on the battlefield.”
QinetiQ said its existing laser weapon activity directly supports 150 jobs.
