Rheinmetall lasers for German warships (updates)

[Haijun watcher]

The naval laser weapons arms race continues:

Navy Recognition

Rheinmetall to develop laser weapons demonstrator for frigate Sachsen of German Navy
Naval News November 2020 Navy Forces Maritime Defense Industry Posted On Thursday, 26 November 2020 20:34
According to a press release published on November 26, 2020, the German procurement authorities have awarded Rheinmetall a contract to develop a key future laser weapon system component. At the end of the second quarter of 2020, the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, or BAAINBw, contracted with Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH to fabricate a laser source demonstrator. The first project for the laser demonstrator will be a yearlong trial phase onboard the Germany Navy frigate Sachsen.
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[Haijun watcher]

Lasers for the Bundesmarine:


Defense News

Rheinmetall, MBDA building high-energy lasers for Germany�s Navy
By: Vivienne Machi ? 2 days ago

STUTTGART, Germany � Rheinmetall and MBDA Deutschland have officially been tasked to build, test and field a high-energy laser weapon system for the German Navy over the next year.
The consortium, dubbed ARGE, was awarded a contract �in the low double-digit million euro range� by Berlin�s military procurement office, the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw). Work will be conducted through the end of 2021, with trials scheduled for 2022 aboard the Navy frigate Sachsen, per a joint press announcement released Thursday.
The work is to be split on a �roughly equal basis,� the companies said. Rheinmetall will be responsible for the laser weapon system, the beam guiding system, cooling, and integrating the weapon system with the overall laser source demonstrator. MBDA will focus on the operator console along with tracking technology and command-and-control system integration. Details have yet to be revealed about where the system�s development will take place.
This latest contract continues the companies� collaboration on high-energy laser efforts, which was first announced in August 2019. Rheinmetall and the Germany military have been testing high energy laser technologies in the maritime domain since 2015, a company spokesman told Defense News.

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