Lockheed Martin has secured a contract from the US Army worth up to $220.8 million to develop an Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Energy Laser (IFPC-HEL) prototype weapon system. The initial funding amount is $154 million, with the remaining amount possibly directed toward the project until mid-October 2025.
Key Points:
- The IFPC-HEL system is aimed at protecting fixed and semi-fixed locations from a range of aerial threats including cruise missiles, rockets, artillery, mortars, unmanned aerial systems, and rotary and fixed-wing threats.
- The contract stipulates the development of up to four complete high-energy laser (HEL) weapon systems integrated onto a government-furnished property platform. These systems must be delivered no later than 20 months after the contract award.
- If successful, these HEL systems will be used in live fire testing against “operationally relevant targets”.
- The US Army’s FY24 budget request documents suggest a transition of IFPC-HEL work to a new team by 2025.
- Lockheed Martin previously delivered a 60-plus kilowatt laser to the US Navy under a 2018 contract.
