Raytheon UK Makes Moves in Laser Weaponry and Space Surveillance

Raytheon UK will open an advanced laser integration center in Livingston, Scotland. The center will be focused on testing, fielding, and maintenance of defensive high-energy laser (HEL) weapons, and on using directed energy systems to detect a range of aerial threats, said Michael Hofle, senior director of High Energy Lasers at Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business.

“We’ve all seen that asymmetric threats like drones, rockets, artillery, and mortars are a serious problem, and demand is spiking for cost-effective lasers to defeat them,” Hofle said.

The company said the regional hub will also help to meet the accelerated delivery schedules that customers are requesting, and ensure that fielded systems can be quickly maintained and repaired. The center will also help to meet accelerated delivery schedules requested by customers.

Last year, Raytheon UK was awarded a demonstrator contract to provide an HEL weapon system to the U.K. Ministry of Defence, to be installed on the U.K. Wolfhound land vehicle.

Raytheon UK will establish a laser integration center in Scotland. The announcement comes one day after the company announced an agreement to acquire Northern Space and Security Ltd., a U.K.-based space surveillance firm. Courtesy of Raytheon UK.

In a separate development, Raytheon UK reached an agreement to acquire Northern Space and Security Ltd. (NORSS), a specialist in space domain awareness, orbital analysis, space surveillance, and tracking. The company delivers orbital analyst and technical services to the U.K. Space Agency, providing capabilities to government and U.K. satellite operators.

The acquisition will facilitate expansion by NORSS through access into new markets, said Ralph Dinsley, executive director of NORSS.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.