On 9 July 2026 Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed a contract with the High-Energy Laser Naval Demonstrator Working Group (ARGE HEL) for the development of a high-energy laser weapon system for the German Navy.

The contract value is in the mid-three-digit-million-euro range and covers the development of a complete system for maritime applications, including the entire operational chain from reconnaissance and target tracking to engagement. The resulting laser weapon system is expected to be operational by 2029.

The ARGE HEL consists of MBDA Deutschland and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition, which are in the process of forming a joint venture for this purpose. The joint venture is placing particular emphasis on German supply chains and domestic systems expertise in its development work in order to secure national sovereignty in this key technology.

The complete laser weapon system is being tailored to the requirements and needs of the Bundeswehr. In March 2026 the naval laser demonstrator “repeatedly proved its capabilities to high-ranking German delegations at the Bundeswehr Technical Centre for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in Meppen”, the two companies reported. The demonstrator has already covered 28,000 nautical miles (51,856 km) across the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean on board the frigate Sachsen and has proven its effectiveness even in adverse weather conditions.

Over the course of more than a year of testing and operational use at WTD91, more than 1,000 shots were successfully fired at airborne, maritime and land-based targets.

The refined beam quality and tracking capability enable the laser power to be focused with extreme precision, even on moving targets, focusing power onto an area measuring just a few centimetres, according to the ARGE HEL partners. They added that, due to the system’s very high energy density, targets can be engaged more quickly, precisely and effectively while using less laser power.