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<p class=”text-body text-muted small”>KHI displayed its new high-energy laser C-UAS, mounted on a Mule Pro-FX ground vehicle, at the DSEI Japan 2023 show. (Janes/Oishee Majumdar)</p>
<p>Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) displayed a prototype of a high-energy laser system it has developed to counter hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the DSEI Japan 2023 show being held in Chiba from 15 to 17 March.</p>
<p>Speaking to <em>Janes </em>at the show, company officials said that KHI has delivered one prototype of this laser energy-based counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) to the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) in February.</p>
<p>“The prototype delivered to the MoD has a 100 kW laser power,” the officials added.</p>
<p>The prototype displayed by KHI at the DSEI Japan 2023 show has a 2 kW laser power. The officials said that the laser in this prototype can eliminate UAV targets up to a range of 100 m.</p>
<p>The C-UAS system also includes a laser rangefinder and an infrared (IR) thermal imaging camera that can track UAVs up to a range of 300 m, the officials added.</p>
<p>The prototype delivered to the MoD has longer ranges than the one displayed at the show, the officials said.</p>
<p>At present, the C-UAS can be fitted onto ground vehicles for mobility. For example, the prototype displayed at the show is fitted onto Mule Pro-FX all-terrain vehicle from Kawasaki Motors. The officials said that Kawasaki plans to develop a version of the C-UAS that can be integrated onto naval vessels.</p>