Directed Energy Weapon Capability Demonstrators

Tender description

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) plans to invest in a range of National Directed Energy Weapon Demonstrators. As part of the MOD’s ‘Novel Weapons Programme’, these Capability Demonstrators will provide UK armed forces with first hand Directed Energy Weapons experience; enabling them to better understand and explore the potential that Directed Energy could provide on the battlefields of the future and accelerate the introduction of Directed Energy Weapons into the UK armed Forces. Lot 1: The demonstrators will include: — a high energy laser weapon on-board a ship for air and surface defence applications, — a high energy laser weapon on a land vehicle for ground based air defence applications including countering unmanned air systems and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, — a high-power radio frequency weapon on a land vehicle for countering unmanned air systems and counter mobility applications. Building on technology in this area, these demonstrators will place these innovative capabilities ‘into the hands of the user’ allowing them to better understand the effects that can be achieved, how they can use Directed Energy Weapons and how to operate them alongside other elements of UK armed forces. Through significant trials and experimentation campaigns, the MOD will seek to inform future military requirements and de-risk both technology and capability understanding. These demonstrators are part of the MOD's ‘Novel Weapons Programme’ which seeks to prepare Defence for the introduction of these transformative technologies. There is no guarantee of any contract coming into existence as a result of this Prior Information Notice (PIN). This PIN is issued for information purposes only.