Germany taps MBDA to develop airborne laser weapon demonstrator

Germany has commissioned MBDA Deutschland to develop an airborne laser weapon demonstrator as the Bundeswehr explores equipping its aircraft with lasers to counter drones and cruise missiles.

The contract was awarded by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), MBDA announced on November 2, 2026.

The project will examine whether such a weapon can be integrated into an aircraft and establish the technical groundwork for a future German Air Force (Luftwaffe) capability.

Developing a laser weapon that can fly

MBDA will develop key components of a laser pod, designing them from the outset with future flight operations in mind.

The company has not identified which aircraft might eventually carry the system or specified the laser’s power output. It also gave no contract value or timetable for flight testing.

Putting a laser weapon aboard an aircraft presents challenges that ground-based and naval systems do not face to the same degree. The equipment must fit within tight size and weight limits while remaining effective under flight conditions.

MBDA sees airborne lasers primarily as a way to defend against drones and cruise missiles. The same technology could also protect ships, ground vehicles, military personnel and critical infrastructure.

Germany seeks greater control over laser weapon technology

The contract also reflects Germany’s efforts to retain domestic expertise in technologies considered important to its defense industry.

MBDA emphasized that the project would draw on German suppliers and engineering capabilities, reducing dependence on foreign technology for a potential future weapon system.

According to the company, laser technology has been a strategic research priority in Germany since 2019, both under the federal government’s security and defense industry strategy (SVI) and within the Federal Ministry of Defense.

MBDA has also spent years investing its own money in high-energy laser technology. It said it has already built and tested several demonstrators, although it did not provide details of those systems in its latest announcement.

MBDA builds on German Navy laser weapon program

The airborne project follows a much larger contract awarded to MBDA and Rheinmetall for a laser weapon intended for German Navy warships.

On July 9, 2026, the BAAINBw signed an agreement with ARGE HEL, the working group formed by MBDA Deutschland and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition, to develop a high-energy laser weapon system for the fleet.

The companies expect the weapon to become operational in 2029. Rheinmetall put the contract value in the mid-hundreds of millions of euros.

That program follows an extensive test campaign involving a containerized laser demonstrator installed aboard the German frigate Sachsen.

Over more than a year of testing, including work at the Bundeswehr Technical Center for Weapons and Ammunition (WTD 91) in Meppen, the system fired more than 1,000 shots against aerial, maritime and land targets.

MBDA and Rheinmetall announced plans in January 2026 to establish a joint venture to build on their cooperation.

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