El Sistema CLWS (Compact Laser Weapon System) de defensa contra UAS (C-UAS) desarrollado por Boeing, participó en un ejercicio combinado entre EEUU y Arabia Saudita (AS), realizado en instalaciones del Red Sands Experimentation Center (AS). Se trata de un Arma de Energía Dirigida Laser (DEW-L) de 5kw de potencia, que fue testeado en condiciones extremas del desierto, con altas temperaturas y escasa visibilidad. Fue probado asimismo para neutralizar UAS de gran porte y capacidad de carga como los de Clase 3, lo que realizó exitosamente. Instalado en configuración estática en módulo container y también móvil en Veh Polaris RZR, el CLWS se desempeñó adecuadamente neutralizando UAS en distancias entre 200 y 2500m. En diferentes test y escenarios, el CLWS lleva derribados unos 500 UAS en la etapa de experimentación y ajustes, previo a la incorporación a los elementos operacionales.
Boeing’s laser system took down bigger Group 3 drones in a joint US-Saudi exercise, proving it can stop advanced threats.
The Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) used a 5-kilowatt laser to engage and defeat Group 3 drones, which are larger and can carry heavier equipment, during a test at the Red Sands Experimentation Center in Saudi Arabia.
Two Boeing engineers quickly integrated the system with the Army’s Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) Command and Control (C2) network, using radar cues to run demonstrations with representatives from US Army DEVCOM and U.S. Army Central Command.
Desert conditions enhance counter-UAS capabilities
According to Ron Dauk, Boeing’s Directed Energy program manager, working alongside servicemembers in real theater conditions, such as desert heat and dust, is essential for fine-tuning their counter-UAS systems and demonstrating their capabilities.
“As the only directed energy system at RED SANDS, CLWS again showed that it fits a warfighter need as an important piece of the broader layered air defense puzzle on the modern battlefield,” Dauk said.
RED SANDS came after a counter-UAS challenge organized by DEVCOM at Fort Drum, New York, where Boeing’s CLWS units were integrated with a military-grade all-terrain vehicle and Army C2 networks to defeat small drones in various scenarios.
Additionally, CLWS units recently returned from a successful multi-year deployment with the US Marine Corps.
CLWS defeats nearly 500 drones with minimal operator training
Boeing’s CLWS has successfully taken down nearly 500 drones, including Group 3 drones, first-person-view drones, and swarms, during numerous demonstrations in various scenarios and environments. Operators have used an Xbox controller to achieve this with just one hour of training.
