German companies Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany are planning to set up a joint venture to develop a naval laser weapon.

German publication Hartpunkt reported on this.

Rheinmetall and MBDA have been cooperating for several years in military laser technology. In particular, in 2022 and 2023, a jointly developed laser was tested on the Sachsen frigate as part of the High-Energy Laser Naval Demonstrator Working Group (ARGE).

Last September, it was announced that the two companies had signed a cooperation agreement to develop laser weapons for ships.

However, the companies had to obtain approval from the German antitrust authorities to establish the joint venture. According to the media, the companies submitted an application to the Federal Cartel Office in December 2024 to establish a joint venture and have already received approval.

However, how the joint venture will be organized and what products it will produce is not yet known.

Rheinmetall and MBDA laser weapon demonstrator

It is reported that the output power of the demonstrator’s beam can reach 20 kW at high beam density. Like other powerful modern lasers, the German demonstrator consists of numerous lower-power lasers, the beams of which are then combined into a single beam using an optical system.

In this case, 12 almost identical fiber laser modules are used, each of which can generate a beam of up to 2 kW.

However, it is reported that the technological solutions of the prototype allow an increase in power without large-scale design changes up to 100 kW.

During the tests in 2022 and 2023, the demonstrator fired more than 100 test shots, destroying unmanned aerial vehicles at short and extremely short distances.

The test results showed that the system is well suited to counter the threat of UAVs, swarms of drones, speedboats, and possibly guided missiles at close or very close range. In addition, it can be upgraded in the future to destroy supersonic missiles, rockets, as well as mortar and artillery shells.

MBDA Deutschland is responsible for target detection and tracking, the operator console, and integrating the laser weapon into the control system. Rheinmetall is responsible for the guidance system, the demonstrator container, and the demonstrator’s mechanical and electrical integration on the Sachsen frigate’s deck. It is also responsible for the laser itself, including its peripherals.