US Army unveils new laser-armed Stryker vehicle to combat drone warfare

[Ryan Robertson]

DRONE THREATS ARE THE NEW NORMAL IN MODERN WARFARE – AND THE U-S ARMY IS LOOKING TO COUNTER THE TECH WITH SOME ADVANCED LASER WEAPONS.

THIS IS AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE STRYKER INFANTRY COMBAT VEHICLE. IT WAS JUST UNVEILED THIS WEEK.4. DEVELOPED BY LEONARDO DRS AND BLUEHALO, THE SYSTEM COMBINES CUTTING-EDGE WEAPONS WITH RAPID DEPLOYMENT CAPABILITIES, OFFERING A TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH TO DEFENDING AGAINST DRONE THREATS.

THE VEHICLE IS PACKED WITH HIGH-TECH WEAPONS, INCLUDING A LASER SYSTEM THAT CAN TAKE DOWN ENEMY DRONES, ALONG WITH ROCKETS, A 30-MILLIMETER AUTOMATIC CANNON, AND ADVANCED SENSORS.

LAST MONTH, THE VEHICLE WAS PUT TO THE TEST IN A LIVE-FIRE DEMONSTRATION IN NEW MEXICO, WHERE IT SUCCESSFULLY SHOT DOWN MULTIPLE DRONES. USING A POWERFUL 26-KILOWATT LASER DEVELOPED BY BLUEHALO.

THE STRYKER DESTROYED DRONES WEIGHING UP TO 13-HUNDRED POUNDS, FLYING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND ALTITUDES. EQUIPPED WITH BOTH LASER-DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS AND CONVENTIONAL ARMS, THE VEHICLE PROVIDES THE U.S. ARMY WITH A VERSATILE, MOBILE DEFENSE SYSTEM, CAPABLE OF ADDRESSING A WIDE RANGE OF AERIAL THREATS IN FUTURE COMBAT SCENARIOS. 

THE LASER SYSTEM, KNOWN AS THE LOCUST LASER WEAPON SYSTEM, CAN BE QUICKLY SET UP AND IS READY TO OPERATE WITHIN JUST 15 MINUTES OF DEPLOYMENT. IT PROVIDES 360-DEGREE COVERAGE, MEANING IT CAN DETECT AND ENGAGE DRONES FROM ANY DIRECTION. WITH THIS SYSTEM, SOLDIERS CAN TAKE DOWN DRONES EFFICIENTLY WITHOUT RELYING ON TRADITIONAL AMMUNITION, MAKING IT A COST-EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE OPTION FOR PROTECTING TROOPS IN THE FIELD.

IN ADDITION TO THE LASER, THE STRYKER IS EQUIPPED WITH OTHER HIGH-POWERED WEAPONS LIKE A 30MM AUTOMATIC CANNON AND 70MM LASER-GUIDED ROCKETS. THESE WEAPONS ALLOW IT TO ENGAGE NOT ONLY DRONES BUT ALSO GROUND TARGETS, MAKING IT A VERSATILE TOOL IN COMBAT. 

THE VEHICLE ALSO FEATURES ADVANCED RADAR AND CAMERA SYSTEMS THAT HELP IT TRACK AND TARGET THREATS, ENSURING THAT IT CAN RESPOND QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY IN ANY SITUATION.

NOTABLY, LEONARDO DRS AND ITS INDUSTRY PARTNERS DEVELOPED AND TESTED THE VEHICLE IN JUST EIGHT MONTHS, DEMONSTRATING HOW QUICKLY NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE BROUGHT TO THE BATTLEFIELD.

BY COMBINING CUTTING-EDGE LASER TECHNOLOGY WITH TRADITIONAL FIREPOWER, THE STRYKER PROVIDES SOLDIERS WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO STAY PROTECTED IN CONTESTED ENVIRONMENTS. THIS VEHICLE IS DESIGNED TO MOVE QUICKLY, ENGAGE MULTIPLE TARGETS, AND WORK SEAMLESSLY WITH OTHER DEFENSE SYSTEMS, GIVING THE ARMY A SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE IN FUTURE CONFLICTS.

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