The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle carried out a shipboard test of the HELMA‑P high‑energy laser anti‑drone system during the La Fayette 26 deployment, with trials taking place on the carrier’s flight deck between 4 and 8 June, the French Navy’s magazine Cols Bleus reported and Zone Militaire relayed.
What was tested and where
The published account says the experiment took place while the carrier was docked in the Gulf of Oman. A joint team from the Centre for Military Aviation Expertise (CEAM) and the French Navy’s ground‑based air defence division carried out the installation. According to Cols Bleus, fitting the demonstrator on the ship required about four hours.
The HELMA‑P system and its development
HELMA‑P (High Energy Laser for Multiple Applications – Power) is a directed‑energy demonstrator developed by CILAS under France’s L2AD programme to develop laser weapons for countering drones. The system integrates sensors and a laser effector; Cols Bleus’ description and accompanying photograph identify the demonstrator’s major elements:
- camera turret
- LIDAR for range and target detection
- laser emitter
- cooling unit
- control console
| Feature | Detail (as reported) |
|---|---|
| Deployment location | Flight deck, Charles de Gaulle (docked), Gulf of Oman |
| Installation time | About four hours |
| Developer | CILAS |
| Programme | L2AD (laser weapons for counter‑drone missions) |
| Previous tests | Ground tests in 2020 and 2021; deck trial on Forbin frigate in June 2023; deployed for Paris 2024 Olympic Games |
Cols Bleus described HELMA‑P as a directed‑energy weapon designed to neutralise small drones and other asymmetric threats by using a powerful beam to damage a target’s structure within seconds. The system had completed ground trials in 2020 and 2021 and was earlier trialled on the deck of the Forbin frigate in June 2023. French authorities also deployed the demonstrator in a security role during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the report notes.
International context
The Charles de Gaulle trial is one of several recent experiments by carrier‑borne forces to test directed‑energy and other counter‑drone measures at sea. The account cites a US precedent: the US carrier USS George H.W. Bush trialled the LOCUST system in October 2025 and subsequently employed it in the Gulf of Oman.
In its reporting, Cols Bleus emphasised the modular nature of HELMA‑P — the mix of detection, tracking and a laser emitter — and the ability to install the demonstrator rapidly on a carrier deck, which is a key practical consideration for shipboard integration.
For Indian readers tracking counter‑drone and directed‑energy developments, the French trial underscores two operational trends reported by the French Navy: the movement of laser weapons from ground trials to maritime experiments, and the emphasis on rapid installation and integrated sensing to counter small unmanned aerial threats in littoral and regional seas.
