Lockheed Martin Set to Equip U.S. Army with Groundbreaking 60kW Laser System
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BOTHELL, Wash., March 16, 2017 — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has finalized the design, development, and demonstration of a 60 kW-class beam-combined fiber laser for the U.S. Army.
In tests conducted earlier this month, the Lockheed Martin laser emitted a singular beam of 58 kW, setting a world record for this category of laser. The Lockheed Martin team fulfilled all contractual obligations for the laser system and is getting ready to dispatch it to the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command located in Huntsville, Ala.
“The delivery of this laser signifies a pivotal achievement in the journey toward fielding a functional laser weapon system,” stated Paula Hartley, vice president, Owego, New York general manager, and Advanced Product Solutions within Lockheed Martin’s Cyber, Ships & Advanced Technologies sector. “This accomplishment was made possible through a strong collaboration between the U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin; we are thrilled to provide this system for their further integration and assessment.”
Lockheed Martin’s laser system is a beam-combined fiber laser, which amalgamates individual lasers generated via fiber optics to create a singular, powerful laser beam. This structure enables a scalable laser system that can be enhanced in power by integrating additional fiber laser subunits. The system rests on a design initiated under the Department of Defense’s Robust Electric Laser Initiative Program, further refined through investments by Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Army into a 60kW-class solution.
“The intrinsic scalability of this beam-combined laser system has permitted us to construct the inaugural 60kW-class fiber laser for the U.S. Army,” remarked Robert Afzal, Ph.D., senior fellow for Laser and Sensor Systems. “We have demonstrated that a potent directed energy laser is now sufficiently lightweight, compact, and reliable for deployment on tactical vehicles for defensive purposes on land, at sea, and in the air.”
According to Afzal, the Lockheed Martin team devised a laser beam that approached being “diffraction-limited,” signifying it was near the physical constraints for focusing energy onto a singular, tiny spot. The laser system also showcased high efficiency during testing, capable of converting over 43 percent of the electricity powering it directly into the actual laser beam emitted.
Laser weapons serve as a complement to conventional kinetic munitions on the battlefield. In the future, they will provide dependable protection against threats such as drone swarms or substantial numbers of rockets and mortars. In 2015, the company utilized a 30kW fiber laser weapon, termed ATHENA, to incapacitate a truck from a mile away.
Lockheed Martin has led the way in laser weapon systems for over 40 years, advancing in precise aiming and control, line-of-sight stabilization, and adaptive optics – essential functions in harnessing and directing the power of a laser beam – as well as in fiber laser technology utilizing spectral beam combining. Lockheed Martin aims to develop a series of laser weapon systems tailored to various power levels to address missions across maritime, aerial, and terrestrial platforms.
