Lockheed Martin to construct 60-kilowatt electric laser for U.S. Army
NewsApril 24, 2014
BOTHELL, WA. Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $25 million contract from the U.S. Army to design, build, and test a 60-kilowatt electric laser to be integrated and tested on the truck-mounted High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD).
This laser weapon is designed to improve the warfighters’ ability to counter artillery, mortars, rockets, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) threats and attacks.
Lockheed Martin’s electric laser system implements several compact, rugged fiber laser modules to create a high-power output beam with high electrical efficiency. The spectral beam combining process enables the combination of several fiber lasers into a single beam of light that retains the high beam quality of the individual fiber modules. In January 2014, Lockheed Martin demonstrated this ability to create a 30-kilowatt fiber laser.
"Lockheed Martin continues to advance its high-energy fiber laser technology to provide a proven, affordable weapon architecture that supports the size, weight, and power constraints our customers face," says Paula Hartley, VP of Advanced Product Solutions for Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems and Training business.
For more information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com.
