Bundeswehr commissions MBDA and Rheinmetall to develop laser weapon for the German Navy

The German Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) has commissioned MBDA Deutschland and Rheinmetall to develop a High Energy Laster Weapon (HELW) system for the German Navy. The two companies are establishing a joint venture company for this purpose, according to a media release by MBDA.

The HELW will be operational in 2029.  The exact value of the development contract is undisclosed, but is said by MBDA to be worth hundreds of millions of euros. It covers the development of a complete system for maritime applications and will encompass the entire chain of operations, from reconnaissance and target tracking to engagement.

“The laser weapon system from MBDA and Rheinmetall is a flagship technological project with a very high level of technological maturity,” says Thomas Gottschild, managing director of MBDA Deutschland and MBDA’s executive vice president for strategy and future growth. “It meets the specific requirements of the Bundeswehr and will significantly strengthen the German Navy’s defence capabilities against air, sea and land targets. The containerised laser effector will also be cost-effective for port security as well as other applications.”

The project is based on the integrated system demonstrator, which underwent a full year of testing at sea by the German Navy. In March 2026 it repeatedly demonstrated its capabilities to high-ranking German delegations at the Wehrtechnischen Dienststelle für Waffen und Munition (WTD91) in Meppen. The demonstrator has already covered 28,000 nautical miles across the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean on board the frigate Sachsen, proving its effectiveness even in adverse environmental conditions.

The prototype system has fired over 1,000 successful shots at air, sea and land targets, says MBDA. The advanced beam quality and tracking capability enable the laser power to be focused with extreme precision, even on moving targets. The system developed by MBDA and Rheinmetall can focus the power onto an area measuring just a few centimetres. Thanks to its very high energy density,. targets can be engaged more quickly, more precisely and more effectively, whilst using lower laser power.

MBDA is a multi-national European group owned by Airbus (37.5%), BAE Systems (37.5%) and Leonardo (25%), and a global leader in complex weapon systems. In its development work for the HELW, the joint venture is placing particular emphasis on German supply chains and domestic systems expertise in order to safeguard national sovereignty in this key technology.  MBDA says it is the only European group capable of designing and manufacturing complex weapons to meet all current and future operational requirements of land, sea and air forces