Rheinmetall, MBDA to develop laser weapon for German Navy

Rheinmetall and MBDA have been contracted by the German armed forces to develop a high-energy laser weapon for the German Navy, with the system expected to be operational by 2029. The contract, valued in the "mid three-digit" million-euro range, builds on a previous laser demonstrator that was tested aboard the frigate Sachsen, covering 28,000 nautical miles and firing over 1,000 shots. The weapon is designed to counter drones and provide port security, with serial production largely taking place in Germany. Separately, the French-German Research Institute of Saint-Louis has tested its electromagnetic railgun outdoors for the first time, moving it out of laboratory conditions. Belgium also announced it will buy 20 Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 anti-drone cannons and 14 Thales GM200 radars as part of a €3.1 billion investment in layered air defense, after two decades without such systems.