Rheinmetall and MBDA have announced plans to establish a joint venture for their naval laser activities. The new private limited company is expected to be formed in the first quarter of 2026 and is based on the two companies’ existing cooperation since 2019 which includes the successful implementation of a naval laser demonstrator.
The new company will develop and provide high-performance laser weapon systems, initially for the German Navy, designed to counter drones and other agile targets at short and very short ranges.
MBDA and Rheinmetall have already jointly developed a demonstrator that has been integrated on a naval vessel and successfully tested under operational conditions for a year.
Following the successful one-year trial period at sea, during which more than 100 firing and tracking tests were conducted against various targets, including ‘Blue Sky’ without using the landscape to capture the beam, the laser demonstrator was transferred to the Laser Competence Centre of the Military Technical Service for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in Meppen for further testing. It has been taken back into operation and is also being used for further land-based drone defence testing.
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