Effective and efficient defence weapon Contract Signed for the Development of High Energy Laser Effectors

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Germany has taken a major step towards introducing operational high energy laser weapons by awarding a development contract for the country's first laser based weapon system for the Bundeswehr.

The effective defence against hostile weapons is of central importance for maintaining freedom of action during combat operations and achieving operational superiority. On 9 July 2026, a major milestone was reached when Annette Lehnigk Emden, President of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In Service Support (BAAINBw), signed a contract with MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH for the development of a revolutionary laser based weapon system.

The High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) is being developed as a modern engagement capability against highly agile air, sea and land targets. The increasing use of drones in the war in Ukraine and, more recently, the hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz underline the importance of such a defence system. The HELWS is not only first of class but also first of its kind. It is the first laser weapon to be developed and procured for the Bundeswehr.

The system is initially intended for installation on a German Navy vessel. By the end of the contract, the goal is to deliver a fully tested and certified weapon system that can be handed over to the Navy for operational use. At the same time, the HELWS will serve as the technological foundation for additional laser weapon systems for naval applications as well as for mobile and stationary land based platforms.

High energy laser effectors destroy their targets by directing a precise and focused laser beam onto a previously selected point. This creates such an intense concentration of heat that materials melt, structures are weakened or electronic components are damaged. The advantages of laser weapons include their highly precise effects and the low cost per engagement, requiring only a small amount of fuel instead of spending hundreds of thousands of euros on a guided missile. In addition, laser weapons act without delay, leaving an adversary with virtually no time to react.

Commenting on the project, BAAINBw President Annette Lehnigk Emden said: "High energy laser effectors have the potential to provide effective and efficient target engagement. As drones and increasingly complex threat scenarios push proven defence systems to their limits, laser weapon systems are becoming an ever more important focus of military development and testing. The Bundeswehr and its partners are working intensively to make these systems operational."

The project began in 2018. A demonstrator developed by the industrial partners is known as HoWiSM (Highly Precise and Scalable Effects Against Agile and Low Signature Targets at Short and Very Short Ranges from Floating Platforms). It was installed on the frigate SACHSEN in 2022 for testing and underwent trials under real environmental conditions for more than one year. During these trials, the vessel covered more than 28,000 nautical miles and successfully conducted well over 100 test firings in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

Installation and commissioning of the HELWS are planned for 2029.