MTHEL High Energy Laser Destroys Large Caliber Rocket

Released on Thursday, May 06, 2004

Northrop-Grumman has announced that the Mobile Tactical High Energy Laser (MTHEL) built for the US Army and the Israel Ministry of Defense successfully destroyed a rocket on May 4 that was larger while flying faster and higher than threats previously destroyed by the MTHEL.

The demonstration took place at US Army's White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The large caliber rocket was carrying a live warhead and was intercepted and destroyed by the MTHEL test bed.

This testing is of central importance due to many countries already possess large caliber rockets. The large-caliber rocket employed during the test features double range, three times altitude and far much more warhead that threats employed until now within the MTHEL development program. It is representative of threats faced by US and Israeli forces.

Northrop-Grumman began to work on the High Energy Laser in 1996 when it was called the THEL / Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator (ACTD). MTHEL is intended to be the first US Army transportable laser weapon.

To date, the MTHEL test bed has destroyed 28 Katyusha rockets and five artillery shells in flight.