France Introduces a Laser Gun for its Ships
Frances New Laser Gun for Ships is Preparing to Tests
The new Helma-P anti-drone laser weapon system testing on the French Navy’s ships will now begin in 2022.
The French defense companies Compagnie Industrielle des Lasers (CILAS) and the Ariane Group have developed a new type of high-energy laser weapon called the Helma-P (High Energy Laser for Multiple Applications –Power) which was made possible through the aid of the French Defense Innovation Agency (AID) and the French Armament Agency (DGA).
It took two years to develop the system and in October of 2020, ground tests of Helma-P were conducted. The system can cease targets flying one kilometer away. In all weather conditions, it can both track and destroy any drone flying at 50 km/h.
The executives say that the land tests have yielded very positive results, and their goal is to have the system ready for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
Many countries, including the USA, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Japan, and Turkey, are devoting significant resources to laser technology. The Helma-P is Europe’s “first drone-dropping laser system”.
