Kraken Kinetics TERMINUS featured in Army Rangers' demo

At DSEI 2025, Israel unveiled the Iron Beam 450, a revolutionary laser defense system by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Combat-tested in Gaza, the Iron Beam 450 uses a 450mm beam (compared to the Iron Dome’s 250mm) to target coin-sized objects up to 10km away. The cost-efficiency is stark: Iron Dome interceptors run $30,000 each, while Iron Beam shots cost just $5-10. In a scenario like Hezbollah launching 1,000 rockets, the Iron Dome would cost $30M in interceptors, but Iron Beam would only need $10,000 in laser power. Key upgrades from battlefield testing include: * A 450mm beam for improved focus * Adaptive optics to handle dust and turbulence * Coherent beam combining for precision * Instant target neutralization Combat data from the 2024 Swords of Iron war, where Hamas drones, Hezbollah rockets, and artillery shells were intercepted at light speed, influenced its development. Now, following successful tests in Paris, Rafael is marketing Iron Beam 450 globally, especially to NATO allies facing drone swarms. Despite challenges—such as limitations in cloudy, dusty conditions and mobility constraints due to power needs—the economics make Iron Beam compelling. If you're shooting down $200 drones with $30,000 missiles, alternatives like laser defense become a necessity. For contractors, Rafael is seeking high-power laser components, adaptive optics, and power management systems, especially those proven in harsh, combat conditions. The future is clear: beam weapons are the next evolution, with physics on their side. #ironbeam #irondome #starwars #templartitannews

IPG Photonics Unveils Advanced Laser Defense System at DSEI 2025   IPG Photonics, a global leader in #fiber laser technology with 35 years of continuous innovation, has introduced transformative solutions across multiple industries. The company announced its latest advancement in defense technology with the launch of the CROSSBOW™ system at #DSEI 2025 in London.   Designed to counter the rising threat of unmanned aerial systems (#UAS), CROSSBOW™ is the first fully field-ready laser #defense system. It leverages IPG’s unparalleled expertise in fiber lasers to provide robust protection for military forces and critical infrastructure, marking a significant milestone in directed-energy defense solutions.   Video: Courtesy of IPG Photonics.   https://lnkd.in/dwTHtiua   #Photonics #FiberLasers #Optics #CounterUAS #DSEI2025 #HighEnergyLasers #DefenseTechnology #LaserSystems IPG Photonics

"The continent must leverage its strong industrial base to catch up with the introduction of high-energy laser weapons." Henrik Larsen explains that Europe is lagging in the development of high-energy laser weapons, with its programs primarily in the research and prototype stages. Despite having a strong industrial base, European efforts face fragmentation and funding challenges in enhancing their defense capabilities against drone threats. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eRgdBKgG

“Future battleship” Future battleship concept could blend naval tradition with cutting-edge technology. Classic dreadnought-style ships are long gone, but if the idea resurged, it would likely look very different from the steel giants of the past. Here are some possible design directions: 🔹 Hull & Structure Stealth hull shaping with radar-absorbing coatings, similar to modern destroyers but on a larger scale. Adaptive camouflage plating: hull panels could change color or use LED/active camouflage to blend with the sea or sky. Wave-piercing trimaran or catamaran hull for stability, speed, and larger deck space. 🔹 Propulsion & Power Nuclear power plant for near-unlimited range and massive onboard energy. Hybrid propulsion with electric drives: silent running in stealth mode, full nuclear power for high-speed sprints. Hydrogen fuel cell backup for redundancy and lower emissions when operating near ports. 🔹 Weapon Systems Electromagnetic railguns for hypervelocity kinetic strikes at hundreds of kilometers. Directed-energy weapons (lasers) for anti-air, anti-drone, and missile defense. Hypersonic missile launchers embedded flush with the deck. Swarm drone launch bays: air, surface, and underwater drones deployed for scouting or attack. Automated CIWS turrets with AI fire-control, intercepting incoming threats faster than humans. 🔹 Air & Drone Capabilities VTOL drone squadrons instead of large manned aircraft – cheaper, smaller, and more versatile. Underwater drone bays for scouting, mine clearing, or covert strikes. Autonomous repair drones for fixing hull damage in combat. 🔹 Crew & Automation Highly automated ship systems, reducing crew size from thousands to a few hundred. AI-assisted command center: human officers make final calls, but AI crunches targeting, defense, and logistics data. Augmented reality (AR) battle bridges: holographic tactical maps with live drone feeds. 🔹 Defense & Survivability Active protection systems (APS) for intercepting incoming missiles/torpedoes. Layered electronic warfare suites: jamming, spoofing, and cyber countermeasures. Compartmentalized smart armor: reactive panels that absorb or redirect kinetic and explosive force. Submersible capability (semi-sub battleship): could partially sink lower in the water to hide from radar and missiles. ⚓ In short, a future battleship wouldn’t just be a bigger gun platform – it would be a multi-domain command ship, mixing naval artillery, hypersonic strike, drone warfare, and electronic dominance.

The R&D Unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense Directorate of Defense Research & Development, the Israeli Air Force (IAF), and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have successfully completed a series of tests lasting several weeks, demonstrating the capabilities of the Iron Beam high-power laser system, with Elbit Systems serving as a project partner manufacturing the laser source. #Photonics #Lasers Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e7wJNGds

Northrop Grumman’s navigation technology can perform its mission at hypersonic speeds in GPS-denied environments. This paves the way for precision weapon targeting without GPS. https://lnkd.in/ewGzQ_B9

Thales and HII have announced a new partnership to provide an autonomous mine countermeasures (MCM) system. The two firms revealed they have successfully integrated Thales Synthetic Aperture Mine Detection and Imaging Sonar (SAMDIS 600) with HII’s REMUS 620 medium uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV). As per a press statement, combined together, the two systems promise to offer “autonomous mine detection, classification, and imaging, offering naval forces and partners around the world enhanced capability for undersea security, mine countermeasures, and subsea infrastructure monitoring.” #defence #MCM #uncrewed #autonomy #Thales #HII #REMUS #SAMDIS #NavyLeaders Read more here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dXHDZ34k

The Leidos team in Albuquerque is partnering with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on groundbreaking high-power microwave (HPM) systems designed to counter the growing challenge of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). https://lnkd.in/eb5-HKjz

𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐔𝐀𝐕𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐞… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫. Wargaming is a powerful tool that allows militaries and strategists to simulate scenarios and test technologies and TTPs, in a sandbox environment. With Fight Club Hellas, we ran a wargame last weekend, with distinguished people from the 🇬🇷 Hellenic Armed Forces and the industry, to test manned-unmanned teaming concepts for combined arms land operations. Thanks to the founder Ioannis Kiakos, an active community has finally started to grow in Greece (and Cyprus), with seven sessions already having taken place (on SEAD, IADS, Electronic Warfare etc.). This time, we used VBS4 from Bohemia Interactive Simulations, for an unconventional simulation. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 1️⃣ Rapid sensor-to-shooter loops through manned-unmanned teaming are now the heart of modern land warfare. For that, at least one ISR UAV is an essential organic asset for any mechanized/ armored brigade that wants to conduct coordinated attacks effectively. (🇪🇺 Are we there yet?) 2️⃣ Indirect fire support (like artillery) is still one of the most cost-effective ways of delivering massive firepower to a target. An 82mm mortar shell is ~3kg, a 120mm shell is ~16kg. Repeat until the barrel overheats. The mass adds up. It won’t be replaced any time soon (🇺🇦 Lt Gen Havryliuk’s words, not mine). Strike drones address tactical needs, especially when artillery is unavailable. But ISR drones are a mandatory multiplier/ corrector for artillery. 3️⃣ The integration of autonomous strike platforms with ISR is decisive. Loitering munitions are meaningful in the context of prioritization and sequencing of attacks. 4️⃣ Trench warfare (such as the one that dominates Ukraine) carries the most perennial risk. Even well-supported assaults suffer extreme attrition without sustained suppression, breaching tools, and indirect fire support. This should inform the doctrine of the future, but it's not easy. 5️⃣ Concealment, deception, and adaptive re-positioning are the new equivalents of “armor” in the information domain. Reducing electromagnetic and infrared signatures is as critical as armor thickness. The wargame validated the importance of self-contained ISR at the brigade level. Reliance on higher echelons for aerial intel delays critical decisions. We see that units that can rapidly fuse drone feeds with fires dominate. Σε όλους τους Έλληνες ακόλουθους, αν ενδιαφέρεστε να γίνετε μέρος της κοινότητας, στείλτε ένα μήνυμα στον Γιάννη. 🇬🇷 🇨🇾 Georgie Raptakis Nikolaos Topalis

Leidos Australia has commenced local production of Sea Archer, a next-generation uncrewed surface vessel (USV), marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion of autonomous maritime capabilities into the Indo-Pacific region. The move into local manufacturing of autonomous vessels fast-tracks proven U.S. capability to Australia, harnessing Leidos’ 50-year heritage with the U.S. Navy and its record of more than 120,000 fully autonomous nautical miles at sea. At the core of Sea Archer is Leidos’ autonomy platform, LAVA, designed for high-speed, long-range, and intelligent mission execution across complex maritime environments. The vessel integrates seamlessly with Leidos’ broader battle management technologies including ADEPT and AlphaMosaic, which use artificial intelligence to enable distributed, autonomous fleet operations. Sea Archer can reach sprint speeds up to 40 knots and has a range of 1,500 nautical miles. With a flexible payload bay capacity of more than 900kg, Sea Archer can support a wide range of mission options, including strike, logistics resupply, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), and electromagnetic deception operations. The Australian production of Sea Archer will use local capability across the supply chain from build to payload integration, autonomy software design and ship maintenance supporting a robust sovereign ecosystem, rapid production and sustainment. NSW Central Coast-based Oceans Rivers Lakes has been appointed to build the first aluminium vessel and construction is already underway. Sea Archer is currently undergoing sea trials in the U.S. and is expected to be mission-ready by 2026. 📸 Courtesy Leidos