French Navy tests HELMA-P Laser Weapon from Horizon Destroyer

French Armed Forces press release – Translated by Naval News

From June 12 to 14, the French defense procurement agency (DGA), the French Navy and CILAS conducted a test campaign aboard the destroyer Forbin in the Mediterranean Sea for the HELMA-P (High energy laser for multiple applications – power) system, a laser weapon designed to counter drones.

The HELMA-P system, which has already been successfully tested ashore in 2020 and 2021, has proven to be as effective as it is accurate in neutralizing enemy drones at sea. These tests open the door for further development of the prototype with a view to its long-term integration into Navy ships.

These tests are part of the DGA-led Anti-Drone Program (LAD), which aims to produce a prototype laser weapon from the HELMA-P demonstrator.

The integration of drones into operations is an important development in conflict and particularly in naval combat. At sea, drones can be used to monitor, disrupt, or attack ships and aircraft. The Navy is heavily involved in drone countermeasures work with the other armies and the DGA to procure specific assets.

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Du 12 au 14/06, à bord de la FDA Forbin en Méditerranée, la @DGA, la Marine et la société CILAS ont conduit une campagne d’essais du système HELMA-P, arme laser de lutte anti-drones. L’intégration de drones aux opérations est une évolution majeure des conflits et du combat naval. pic.twitter.com/1Wy4G9P4Ds

— Marine nationale (@MarineNationale) June 20, 2023

Naval News comments about HELMA-P

The HELMA-P system was developed in collaboration between CILAS and Ariane Group. The development took place from 2017 to 2019. The system consists of a 2-axis turret with an array of optical sensors and the laser weapon itself, which has a power of 2 kilowatts. This turret is controlled by a single operator via a human-machine interface. It can reach targets up to 1 kilometer away, which is 3 to 4 times more compared to competing anti-drone technologies, according to the director of CILAS’ innovation department.

The DGA started tests in 2020. As the results were better than expected according to the engineering project manager, the military hopes to make this experimental system operational by 2024 for the Olympic Games in Paris.

In addition to anti-drone warfare, the aim is to go further and test it against asymmetric threats such as floating objects at sea, fast in-shore attack crafts (FIAC) but also for optical jamming or even destruction of antennas.