Lockheed Martin achieves laser development milestone
The 30-kilowatt electric fibre laser under development by Lockheed Martin has been successfully demonstrated by the company, marking a significant milestone on the path to deploying a mission-relevant laser weapon system for a wide range of air, land and sea military platforms.
The laser, funded and developed internally by Lockheed Martin, combines many fibre lasers - each with a unique wavelength - into a single, near-perfect quality beam of light using a process called Spectral Beam Combining. According to the company, the process uses approximately 50 percent less electricity than alternative solid-state laser technologies.
The goal of the programme is to provide lightweight and rugged laser weapon systems for use on military platforms such as aircraft, helicopters, ships and trucks. This demonstration brings that goal a step closer.
Ray Johnson, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Lockheed Martin, said: ‘Lockheed Martin has opened the aperture for high power, electrically driven laser systems suitable for military applications.’
Lockheed Martin hopes to overcome the challenges of using lasers for tactical military use, which until now have been limited because laser inefficiencies drove significant size, power and cooling needs not readily supported by key military ground and airborne platforms.
‘The high-energy laser serves as the heart of a laser weapon system. This 30-kilowatt milestone shows our commitment to producing the high beam quality and high power needed to address a variety of military 'speed-of-light' defensive operations,’ Johnson added.
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