Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed a contract on July 9, 2026, with the High-Energy Laser Naval Demonstrator Working Group, or ARGE HEL, tasking MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH with delivering an operational naval high-energy laser (HEL) weapon system to the German Navy by 2029.
▶️ BAAINBw commissions Rheinmetall and MBDA to develop a laser weapon system for the German Navyhttps://t.co/rddPHS9tZY pic.twitter.com/F2fl1TN6Lx
— Rheinmetall (@RheinmetallAG) July 9, 2026
The contract covers the full engagement chain, from target reconnaissance through tracking and engagement. Both companies described the contract value as in the “mid three-digit million euro” range in official statements. MBDA Deutschland and Rheinmetall are currently forming a dedicated joint venture for the program.
The production award builds directly on a domestically led, multi-year sea trial program that separates this contract from most European directed-energy acquisitions. Beginning in June 2022, ARGE HEL integrated a Laser Weapon Demonstrator (LWD) aboard the German frigate FGS Sachsen (F219).
Over six trial campaigns spanning nearly a year, the LWD completed more than 100 live firings, starting with its first successful test shot in the Baltic Sea in October 2022. The system proved effective against airborne, maritime, and land-based targets, including under adverse weather conditions.
Both companies stated in their official releases that German supply chains and domestic expertise in laser technology are integral to the program, with national technological sovereignty identified as a central program objective.
Germany’s 2029 target would position the German Navy as the second European fleet to field a shipborne HEL system. The United Kingdom Royal Navy signed a £316 million ($414 million) contract for the DragonFire laser system in November 2025, with initial deployment aboard a Type 45 destroyer planned for 2027. DragonFire is estimated to cost under $13 per shot.
