Invited Paper

Mobile and stationary Laser Weapon Demonstrators of Rheinmetall

Waffe Munition
K. Ludewigt*, Th. Riesbeck, Th. Baumgärtel, J. Schmitz, A. Graf, M. Jung
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH, Heinrich-Ehrhardt-Str. 2, 29345 Unterlüß, Germany

ABSTRACT

For some years Rheinmetall Waffe Munition has successfully developed, realised and tested a variety of versatile high
energy laser (HEL) weapon systems for air- and ground-defence scenarios like C-RAM, UXO clearing. By employing
beam superimposition technology and a modular laser weapon concept, the total optical power has been successively
increased. Stationary weapon platforms and now military mobile vehicles were equipped with high energy laser
effectors. Our contribution summarises the most recent development stages of Rheinmetalls high energy laser weapon
program. We present three different vehicle based HEL demonstrators: the 5 kW class Mobile HEL Effector Track V
integrated in an M113 tank, the 20 kW class Mobile HEL Effector Wheel XX integrated in a multirole armoured vehicle
GTK Boxer 8x8 and the 50 kW class Mobile HEL Effector Container L integrated in a reinforced container carried by an
8x8 truck. As a highlight, a stationary 30 kW Laser Weapon Demonstrator shows the capability to defeat saturated
attacks of RAM targets and unmanned aerial vehicles. 2013 all HEL demonstrators were tested in a firing campaign at
the Rheinmetall testing centre in Switzerland. Major results of these tests are presented.
Keywords: Laser Weapon, Demonstrator, Scenario, C-RAM, UAV, Mobile

1. INTRODUCTION

In recent decades the number of state based conflicts between belligerents with similar military power, tactics and goals
decreased significantly. [1] On the other hand, this development is counterbalanced by a drastic overall increase in armed
violence involving terrorism [2] which is usually accompanied by highly asymmetric confrontations. One of the
emerging challenges in such conflicts is the defence against aerial and terrestrial threads such as RAM (Rocket, Artillery,
Mortar), UAV swarm attack or checkpoint scenarios. High Energy Laser (HEL)-based effectors are highly suitable for
such applications. They have many advantages compared to conventional weapon systems: they can operate with a high
precision, without practical time lag (speed of light) and are capable of downscaled escalation. Fibre lasers, as a special
type of diode pumped solid state lasers (DPSSL), have recently experienced huge advancements regarding output power,
beam quality and electrical-to-optical efficiency. Thus, they have become suitable for defence applications and are
already used as laser sources in Laser Weapon Demonstrator programs by different nations. [3, 4]
High power fibre lasers are available as COTS (commercial off-the shelf) products. Combined with their advantageous
properties such as a short start-up time and a deep magazine they possess exceptionally low costs per engagement. In
2012, we demonstrated the integration of our fibre laser weapon system into different stationary air-defence platforms.
[4] Our modular concept of beam superimposition of several identical Laser Weapon Modules (LWMs), each consisting
of a 10 kW fibre laser coupled to a Beam Forming Unit (BFU), proved to be reliable and effective against generic mortar
targets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and stationary structures. The complete engagement process from detecting,
coarse tracking, fine tracking and interaction was demonstrated for realistic scenarios.
As a next step we will prove the scalability and flexibility of our laser weapon concept by integration into different
mobile platforms. In contrast to stationary platforms, mobile ones have higher demands regarding the limitation of key
parameters of the laser weapon components such as size, weight, energy supply, cooling infrastructure and mechanical
stress.
*klaus.ludewigt@rheinmetall.com; phone +49 5827 80 6725 fax +49 5827 80 6832

Technologies for Optical Countermeasures XI; and High-Power Lasers 2014: Technology and Systems, edited by
David H. Titterton, Mark A. Richardson, Robert J. Grasso, Willy L. Bohn, Harro Ackermann, Proc. of SPIE
Vol. 9251, 92510N · © 2014 SPIE · CCC code: 0277-786X/14/$18 · doi: 10.1117/12.2071818

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 We will successfully integrated specialized LWMs into different vehicles and test them in various scenarios. In addition
to the mobile adaptation we will demonstrate the deep magazine capability of a 30 kW laser weapon air-defence station
by successfully engaging a swarm attack of UAVs as well as a saturated attack of generic mortar targets.

2. HEL EFFECTORS
The general setup of the employed HEL effectors is based on our successful experiments with generic multi-10-kW laser
weapon demonstrators in 2011 [5] and 2012 [4]. By using beam superimposing technique and our modular LWM
concept based on COTS high power fibre lasers it is possible to provide an adaptable and scalable solution to equip laser
weapons to various platforms. A conceptual overview of the general HEL effector setup is shown in Figure 1.

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Cooling Beam Forming Unit BFU 4c) c?
Fine
Telescope
Fine äcD°
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Imaging Tracking
Power
Coarse Tracking & Pointing

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Figure 1. General HEL effector setup with basic components.

The principal item of each HEL effector is at least one laser weapon module. Each module consists of a high energy
(HE) fibre laser and a beam forming unit. The BFU is used to image the target with a high magnification, to track
vulnerable points with a high precision and to focus the laser beam on such a point. The BFU can be divided into three
parts: fine imaging, fine tracking and telescope. In order to increase the precision and the speed of the fine tracking
system, the target may be illuminated by a narrow-band light source (e.g. a laser). The optical components of the BFU
are designed and constructed to ensure a diffraction limited beam. Depending on the type and the later operation of the
platform, peripheral components such as cooling and power supply for the HEL, coarse tracking and pointing and fire
and laser control can either be integrated in the platform or provided externally. The available total laser power can be
altered by using different types (5 kW, 10 kW, 20 kW) or different numbers of LWMs. Four effectors based on different
platforms and with different HEL power levels will be briefly described in the following sections (The roman numerals
correspond to the power level).

2.1 Mobile Effector Track V

The “Mobile Effector Track V” comprises a 1 kW fibre laser integrated into a modified M113 tracked armoured
personnel carrier (Figure 2). It uses a single BFU which is mounted on an armour-cased remote weapon station supplied
by RUAG, Switzerland. The Mobile Effector Track V was designed for down-scalable UXO (Unexploded Ordnance)
and obstruction clearing scenarios with a limited range. [6] Thus, the aperture of the BFU optics was minimized in order
to reduce the influence of shockwaves from exploding objects. An illumination and fine tracking component was omitted
within the BFU because the later application is intended for stationary or slowly moving targets only. This allows for a
robust and easily operated effector design. The cooling and power supply has been integrated into the M113 platform
which allows for an autarkic operation. The “Mobile Effector Track V” marks the first HEL effector integrated and
tested on a tracked platform.

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 Figure 2. The 5 kW-class Mobile Effector Track V.

2.2 Mobile Effector Wheel XX

In the 20 kW class, the “Mobile Effector Wheel XX” was designed for maximum mobility and based on an 8x8 GTK
Boxer multirole armoured vehicle. A 5 kW fibre laser as well as power supply and cooling system were integrated into a
modified ambulance module. The LWM consists of a single BFU mounted on an agile remote weapon station (Figure 3).
The remote weapon station can be operated manually or with an automated coarse tracker. In contrast to the “Mobile
Effector Track V”, the BFU has a larger aperture in order to ensure higher engagement distances. The BFU is equipped
with a fine tracking system that allows for platform jitter compensation. Thus a relatively stable pointing of the HEL
beam can be ensured at large distances even with the motor of the drive module running. The operator stations for the
HEL as well as both trackers were also incorporated in the module. An illumination laser was not included in the current
layout but can easily be upgraded. The use of an external illumination source, is another option, e.g. as a part of an air-
defence radar system.
ff

Figure 3. The 20 kW-class Mobile Effector Wheel XX.

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 2.3 Mobile Effector Container L
The 50 kW class system “Mobile Effector Container L” featured two LWMs, each with an optical power of 10 kW. The
HEL effector was integrated in a ballistically protected standard 20’ ISO container. The two 10 kW high energy lasers as
well as the cooling unit are located inside of the container, while the BFUs are installed on a remote weapon station on
top (Figure 4). Both of the BFUs feature an independent fine tracking system including an illumination laser. The
operator station for the HEL as well as fine and coarse tracking is also embedded in the container which was carried by a
protected Tatra T-815/7 8x8 truck supplied by DREHTAINER, Germany. The power supply for the HEL effector is
provided externally. The container is an ideal component for a very flexible and modular system concept. One or more
HEL effector containers can be transported and deployed easily in different configurations. The power supply can either
be mobile (e.g. containerized too) or stationary as part of the infrastructure on land or marine vessels.

Figure 4. The 50 kW-class Mobile Effector Container L.

2.4 Stationary Effector 30 kW

The basic design of the stationary effector is identical to the 30 kW laser weapon station introduced by Rheinmetall in
2012 [4]. Three 10 kW LWMs were integrated in a modified MG 10 Skyshield Gun Turret by removing the gun and
adapting the BFUs to the gun cradle. The high energy lasers were placed in a 10’ sea container below. The stationary
30 kW laser weapon station is shown in Figure 5. Both energy supply and cooling unit were provided externally. To
demonstrate the full integration capability of the laser weapon station into an established ground based air-defence
(GBAD) system, the coarse tracking of the MG-10 turret was guided by a Skyguard sensor platform using radar and
electro-optic sensors. The sensor platform has been modified by the installation of an illumination laser in order to
increase the range and speed of the fine tracking system. The stationary effector is able to engage fast moving and agile
aerial targets. A separate command and control centre was used to accommodate the operators for HEL firing, coarse and
fine tracking which were integrated in the security loop of the GBAD system.

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 -.:''''.:.:: .? lei::,:;"'',,j,',',.,:/?4,,..'..':i.

Figure 5. The 30 kW laser weapon station.

3. TESTS
All HEL effectors were tested in October 2013 during a firing campaign at the Rheinmetall testing centre in Switzerland
under conditions that are as realistic as possible. The following sections will briefly describe testing scenarios and major
results.

3.1 Mobile Effector Track V

The main test scenario for the Mobile Effector Track V was the clearing of a prepared route. The task of the effector was
to neutralise several improvised explosive devices (IED) along a road and finally to cut through a barrier made of barbed
wire. The IED targets were metallic vessels filled with a low explosive. They were neutralised from a safe distance (>40
m) by cutting the metal shell and igniting the low explosive by a short pulse from the 1 kW HEL beam (see Figure 6,
left). IEDs with high explosives, which are not thermally ignited, can thus be deflagrated in a controlled manner. The
subsequent cutting through the barbed wire demonstrated the high precision of the Mobile Effector Track V. The target
is only a few millimetres thick but was cut by the 1 kW laser beam within seconds.

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 .
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Figure 6. The Mobile Effector Track V neutralizing IED targets along a path (left) and cutting through barbed wire (right).

3.2 Mobile Effector Wheel XX

The test scenarios for the Mobile Effector Wheel XX focused on dynamic targets. The HEL effector was able to rapidly
deflagrate a single round in the ammunition belt of a heavy machine gun which is mounted to a car passing by at
distances above 100 m (Figure 7, left). This requires a very precise and stable pointing of the HEL beam which was
possible due to a well-tuned fine and coarse tracking system. Another dynamic scenario that proved the stability and
accuracy of the tracking systems was the successful engagement of an approaching vertical take-off unmanned aerial
vehicle (VTUAV). The VTUAV was GPS-guided and carried a generic low explosive payload on a predetermined path.
Using the 5 kW high energy laser of the Mobile Effector Wheel XX the aerial thread could be neutralized by ignition of
the payload which resulted in the destruction of the VTUAV (series of three frames in the right part of Figure 7). If the
VTUAV does not carry an explosive payload, a hardkill of the vehicle can be easily achieved by destruction of the
frame, motors or control electronics. Another downscaled option, e.g. for reconnaissance VTUAVS, is to induce a
mission kill by permanent or temporary dazzling of the optical sensors.

A2013 Rheinmetau Air Defence AG

Figure 7. Moving targets engaged by the Mobile Effector Wheel XX. Left: deflagration of a heavy machine gun round on a
moving pickup truck. Right: Frame series showing the firing at a VTUAV with low explosive payload.

3.3 Mobile Effector Container L

The increased firepower of the Mobile Effector Container L was tested on stationary targets emulating graduated
infrastructure deactivation/destruction and disabling of reconnaissance optics. A generic radar pylon was deactivated by
selectively cutting the power supply cable for the rotating antenna. In the second step, the HEL power was increased and
the metal tube of the pylon was cut. In addition, a standard ammunition box that was filled with explosive ammunition

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 has been detonated by the HEL (Figure 8). The distance between HEL effector and the targets was about several 100 m
because of spatial limitations on the testing ground. The same effects could in principle also be achieved with the Mobile
Effector Container L in the kilometre range. By a combination of the high precision fine tracking system of the two
LWMs and a gated viewing device, the detection and precise destruction of disguised EO sensors were successfully
demonstrated.

Figure 8. Ammunition Box as a stationary target engaged by the Mobile Effector Container L. Left: The HEL beam hits the
ammunition box. Right: The ammunition inside the box detonates.

3.4 Stationary Effector 30 kW

Two GBAD scenarios have been investigated with the 30 kW high energy laser weapon station: a saturated ballistic
RAM attack and a UAV swarm attack. For the Counter-RAM scenario, a generic target was used which consisted of a
steel ball with a diameter of 81 mm filled with low explosive. The steel ball was fired from a modified mortar system in
1 km distance using compressed air and had a ballistic trajectory in the direction of the Skyguard sensor unit and the
HEL effector. It was fired by an operator who reloaded the mortar after each shot and fired the next steel ball generating
a quasi-continuous mortar bombardment. Due to safety regulations, firing at the generic mortar targets was only allowed
during the last part of their trajectory in which they were well below the horizon formed by the surrounding mountains.
Thus the timespan for neutralizing the steel balls by the HEL effector was limited to a few seconds only before they hit
the ground. Nevertheless, during several tests with in total more than 100 generic mortar targets fired, the Stationary
Effector 30 kW successfully destroyed the targets with a reliability of nearly 100%. After radar detection of the ballistic
target by the sensor unit and coarse tracking by the MG 10 platform, the steel balls were automatically illuminated and
the fine tracking system of each BFU locked on the centre of the spherical target. After a successful fine track the high
energy laser was fired and destroyed the steel balls.
For the UAV swarm attack three jet-driven drones based on a commercially available kit (JT-240, Figure 9, top) and
modified according to the scenario specifications have been used. They were auto-piloted via GPS to approach the HEL
effector from a distance of about 4 km. The time interval between two subsequent UAVs was chosen to about 20 s.
Typical ground velocities during the approach were about 50 m/s with partially intense turbulence due to strong wind
shear. After radar lock-on and coarse tracking, the UAVs were illuminated and the fine tracking system of each BFU
were set to track the same point on the target. In principle it is possible that each BFU tracks and fires at a different point,
yet to maximize the effective range of the HEL-effector all three BFUs have been superimposed on the same point of
interest. Two types of UAV hardkill approaches were tested: critical destruction of the UAV frame / control electronics
and laser-induced detonation of an explosive payload similar to the generic RAM-targets. With a well-tuned and
smoothly interacting coarse and fine tracking system, both approaches lead to the successful hardkill of the UAV within
the limited time frame at distances of several kilometres (Figure 9, bottom). Three or even more attacking UAVs

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 attacking with a small delay were successfully downed by a single HEL effector with 30 kW even under adverse weather
conditions.

Figure 9. UAVs engaged by the Stationary Effector 30 kW. Top: a single JT-240 UAV. Bottom: downed UAV with rescue
parachute (middle) with smoke from the target-laser-interaction (right). The smoke in the left part of the image originates
from the hardkill of the previous UAV in the series.

4. CONCLUSIONS
We have demonstrated that our modular concept is well-suitable for integration of high energy laser weapons into a
variety of platforms. The laser power and tracking modes can be tuned according to the mission profile and the available
space on the platform. This ranges from completely autonomous tracked or wheeled vehicles (Mobile Effector Track V
and Mobile Effector Wheel XX) to more powerful and complex laser effectors that are e.g. able to serve as components
of a joint system (Mobile Effector Container L and Stationary Effector 30 kW). The capability of these effectors has
been successfully tested by many different ground and air-defence scenarios covering IED/UXO clearing, selective
destruction of infrastructure, ammunition deflagration, EO sensor dazzling, VTUAV neutralization as well as the
interception and neutralisation/defeat of saturated RAM and UAV attacks. All tests show that the theoretical advantages
of HEL weapons such as high precision, scalability and reliability can be put into practice and are suitable for the use in
the field by an appropriate system design. Future developments will concentrate on a further downsizing of the HEL
components as well as even stronger system integration and networking in order to tap the full potential of high energy
laser weapons.

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Munition," Proc. SPIE 8898, 88980N (2013).
[5] Ludewigt, K., Riesbeck, Th., Jung, M., et. al., “Overview of the Laser Activities at Rheinmetall Waffe
Munition”, Proc. SPIE 8547, Security and Defence (2012).
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