Modular high power laser enters production for U.S. Army vehicles
NewsOctober 06, 2015
BOTHELL, Wash. The U.S. Army has selected Lockheed Martin to produce a modular high power laser, the first of which will be a 60kW system for an Army vehicle.
“A robust laser system with minimal operational down-time results from the integration of modular fiber-based lasers,” says Iain Mckinnie, business development lead for Laser Sensors and Systems, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training. “With modular lasers, the possibility of a complete system failure due to a single-point disruption is dramatically lessened. Production is also affordable due to the ease of reproducing module components.”
The design allows the power of the laser to be varied across a wide range depending on the mission’s need and threat status, according to company officials. Because of the design, the army has the option to add more modules to increase the power to 120kW as a result of the laser’s modularity.
Lockheed Martin’s laser combines multiple fiber modules to generate an intense laser beam. Production of the fiber modules laser will take place at the company’s facility in Bothell, Washington.
