Matthew Nelson
Lockheed Martin has cleared a critical design review for a laser weapon system built to work with an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer employed by the U.S. Navy.
The High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance has achieved Navy requirements and is slated to undergo a series of tests at the Wallops Island Navy Base in Virginia, the company said Wednesday.
HELIOS will also serve as an integrated component of the Aegis combat system, an automated command-and-control and weapons control platform designed to trace and defeat potential threats.
“HELIOS will provide an additional layer of protection for the fleet—deep magazine, low cost per kill, speed of light delivery, and precision response," said Brendan Scanlon, HELIOS program director at Lockheed’s rotary and mission systems business.
The Navy seeks to deploy laser weapon platforms into surface vessels through the HELIOS system. The platform will proceed to the system integration phase at an undisclosed shipyard in 2021.
