![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Drone_Solo_16x9.jpg.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cThat cost-to-kill ratio is high,\u201d explained Allison, \u201cbut the threat is clear. So, the question became, \u2018What can we do for a counter-UAS system using a high-energy laser, and do it quickly. We didn\u2019t want to go out and do a bunch of research and development. We wanted to take the assets and capabilities Raytheon has today and use them to really affect this asymmetrical threat. We settled on a small system that\u2019s hugely capable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Good Things Come in Small Packages<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team first looked at putting its laser on a standard-size military container, but soon realized it only took up a quarter of the available space. At the same time, an undisclosed customer was exploring ways to put a laser weapon system on vehicles small enough to fit in an airplane\u2019s cargo bay or inside a helicopter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we saw how small we could make it and we saw a clear customer need, we immediately wanted to find a very tactically relevant vehicle that could get out to forward operating bases and do its mission,\u201d said Allison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The system is standalone, with a footprint of roughly 30 square feet. On a single charge from a standard 220v outlet, the same kind you plug your washing machine into at home, the HEL system onboard the MRZR delivers four hours of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability and 20 to 30 laser shots. The system can also be coupled with a generator to provide virtually infinite magazine depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the laser and the vehicle are sure to draw all the attention, it\u2019s the weaponized MTS sensor package that is the core of the system. In this configuration, the MTS provides its standard setting ISR and tracking capabilities while also serving as a beam director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s something Allison says sets this combo apart from bigger, more power-hungry systems. \u201cIf you have a good beam director, then you can use a smaller, more efficient laser. You can make your system smaller and more flexible,\u201d said Allison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hitting the Road<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Morrish believes the solution is particularly suited for expeditionary missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight now, it\u2019s a shoot-on-the-halt capability,\u201d said Morrish. \u201cYou drive the vehicle wherever you\u2019re going to drive it. You stop and then you fire up the laser. That makes it great for protecting forward-operating bases and places where convoys have to stop. The next step is to set it up so you can actually shoot on the move.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raytheon began field testing the HELWS MRZR last week, and is slated to demonstrate it at the U.S. Army\u2019s Maneuver Fires Experiment at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe idea is to quickly take this solution out of the lab and put it in the hands of the operators,\u201d said Morrish. \u201cThe folks in uniform are going to find ways to use it that those of us in lab coats never have.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":45190,"menu_order":0,"template":"single-native-legacy","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"11"},"advertiser":[3524],"class_list":["post-20998","native","type-native","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","advertiser-raytheon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"Agile, mobile and effective, this invention will protect troops from new threats ","legacy_arc_id":"PBYFFFXIU5A5FOCO7CWZE5FK5M","arc_canonical_url":"\/native\/raytheon\/2018\/08\/03\/the-answer-is-the-laser-dune-buggy\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n