Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) and Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) will build competing prototypes of a 50 kilowatt-class laser weapon system for Stryker vehicles under a potential $203M other transaction authority agreement secured by Kord Technologies from the U.S. Army.
Under the OTA, Northrop and Raytheon have one year to come up with the laser subsystems, integrate them onto the vehicle in collaboration with General Dynamics™ (NYSE: GD) land systems business and conduct a competitive performance checkout to facilitate a range demonstration in support of the Army™s directed energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense mission, the service branch said Thursday
The Army also plans to procure three more laser-equipped Stryker vehicles, which could bring the number of prototype vehicles to four and increase the value of the OTA to $490M.
The laser prototypes will be deployed to a platoon of four Strykers in fiscal year 2022 and are part of the Army™s Multi-Mission High Energy Laser technology maturation effort.
The M-SHORAD program seeks to protect brigade combat teams from rockets, artillery and mortar, rotary-wing aircraft and unmanned aerial systems.
