US Navy Eyes Arming Helicopters With Energy Laser Weapons

The High Energy Fiber Laser Project of the US Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) intends to procure technical assistance and systems engineering in the development, testing, and fielding of the High Energy Laser Weapons System (HELWS).

NAWCWD serves as a focal point for defining HEFL system and sub-system requirements, system design and integration plans, prototype systems development, and testing and evaluation.

The contract aims at developing and demonstrating prototype HELWS subsystems that will be integrated together and installed in a rotary-winged aircraft for a series of airborne laser weapon demonstrations.

The contract includes completion of the Integration Structure (IS) design, building, testing, and qualifying required hardware, conducting and delivering qualification testing and analysis, generating drawings and technical reports and installation of subsystems into the IS.