Actually XADS are using a very different technology to that being pursued by Rheinmetall (and their Russian partners), as the latter is basically single shot. It seems to involve accelerating an ionised gas electrostatically rather than blasting a load of fibres to create a conductive channel.
HSV and Ionatron are going the UV-laser route, which XADS now seem to be looking into.
The XADS product definitely works over short range. Whether it can be made small and rugged enough for the USMC is another matter. Not so much vaporware as an early prototype.
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The path is not ionized and is not visible, though it is possible to do this -it's called 'filametation' - with other short-pulse lasers.
Actually XADS are using a very different technology to that being pursued by Rheinmetall (and their Russian partners), as the latter is basically single shot. It seems to involve accelerating an ionised gas electrostatically rather than blasting a load of fibres to create a conductive channel. HSV and Ionatron are going the UV-laser route, which XADS now seem to be looking into. The XADS product definitely works over short range. Whether it can be made small and rugged enough for the USMC is another matter. Not so much vaporware as an early prototype.