Rheinmetall's high-energy laser effector, pictured on a ground vehicle platform, has been tested at sea on a German warship. Photo courtesy Rheinmetall

BERLIN, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Rheinmetall and the German armed forces have completed a recent test of their high-energy laser effector on a German warship.

During the test, a 10-kilowatt high-energy laser, or HEL, was mounted on a MLG 27 light naval gun. The HEL was then used to track potential targets, which included unmanned aerial vehicles and stationary land targets.


The test marked the first demonstration of the HEL on a naval platform, which Rheinmetall says revealed insights for developing future maritime HEL effectors.

Rheinmetall revealed its high-energy laster effectors during the Defense and Security Equipment International exposition in September 2015. The effector is designed to engage low, slow and small aerial threats.