KHI displayed its new high-energy laser C-UAS, mounted on a Mule Pro-FX ground vehicle, at the DSEI Japan 2023 show. (Janes/Oishee Majumdar)
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) displayed a prototype of a high-energy laser system it has developed to counter hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the DSEI Japan 2023 show being held in Chiba from 15 to 17 March.
Speaking to Janes at the show, company officials said that KHI has delivered one prototype of this laser energy-based counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) to the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) in February.
“The prototype delivered to the MoD has a 100 kW laser power,” the officials added.
The prototype displayed by KHI at the DSEI Japan 2023 show has a 2 kW laser power. The officials said that the laser in this prototype can eliminate UAV targets up to a range of 100 m.
The C-UAS system also includes a laser rangefinder and an infrared (IR) thermal imaging camera that can track UAVs up to a range of 300 m, the officials added.
The prototype delivered to the MoD has longer ranges than the one displayed at the show, the officials said.
At present, the C-UAS can be fitted onto ground vehicles for mobility. For example, the prototype displayed at the show is fitted onto Mule Pro-FX all-terrain vehicle from Kawasaki Motors. The officials said that Kawasaki plans to develop a version of the C-UAS that can be integrated onto naval vessels.
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