Germany is making progress to 100-kilowatt military lasers. There were successful tests shooting down drones and mortar rounds.
The next step will be to integrate a 20-kilowatt laser on an armored vehicle.
Germany is about two years behind the US military laser program.
US Army Has Been Tested 2 and 5 Kilowatt Lasers and is Working on 50-kilowatt and 100-kilowatt
The US has been shooting down drones and mortars for a few years with 2 and 5-kilowatt lasers on large military trucks and Stryker armored vehicles. The US Army wants to start fielding a 50-kilowatt laser on an armored vehicle around 2021-2023.
The US Army is developing a 100 kW laser mounted on a larger but less mobile vehicle, the Oshkosh FMTV truck. The heavier laser weapon would be part of the second line of defense.
In the 2025-2030 timeframe, there will be 300-kilowatt and megawatt lasers for missile defense.
SOURCES- Rheinmetall, Breaking Defense
Written By Brian Wang