Lockheed Martin's high-energy laser demonstration unit tested a single beam of 58 kW - a world record for this type of laser
This laser is a converged fiber laser. This means that several laser emitters in it with the help of fiber optics form one powerful laser beam. The demonstration model of a combat laser, developed according to the requirements of the Missile and Space Defense Command and the US Strategic Command, meets all contractual conditions.
Two years ago, Lockheed Martin used a 30 kW ATHENA unit to disable a truck over a mile distance. The new convergence laser system represents a significant step forward in capabilities and an important milestone in the deployment of a practical laser weapon system. The new laser, based on a design developed by the Department of Defense's Robust Electric Laser Initiative, has been refined with funding from Lockheed Martin and the US Army. Laser weapons, complementing traditional kinetic weapons on the battlefield, will be able in the future to significantly increase the ability to protect their forces from new and evolving threats, for example, flocks of drones and attacks from missiles, artillery and high-density mortars.
Robert Afzal, Senior Researcher, Laser and Sensing Systems, noted several notable features of the new laser. One of the main advantages of laser weapons is their "deep magazine" or unlimited ammunition - the installation can fire as long as electricity is supplied. In addition, the cost of one shot from a laser installation will be several times lower than the cost of a shot from a conventional mortar or gun.
According to Afzal, the Lockheed Martin team has created a laser beam that is close to "diffraction limiting." This means that it has approached the physical boundaries of focusing energy on a single small spot. During testing, the laser system also proved to be highly effective, converting more than 43% of the electricity supplied to it into an emitted laser beam, making it possible to install this weapon on small mobile platforms. “For our laser, 43% for 60 kW of output power means 150 kW of generated power. Generators and batteries can provide this power on mobile platforms.”
One of the major technical breakthroughs is related to beam scattering and coherence. “We combine beams with a technology we call spectral beam alignment. Multiple fiber laser modules produce one high-quality, powerful beam that is more effective and more damaging. The process does not require the coherence of the aligned beams. Our technology allows energy to be directed through the optical system of mirrors, lenses and diaphragms, which concentrates and corrects it, since the beam is subject to atmospheric distortion on the way to the target,”Afzal explained.
Scalability is another issue for which previous systems have been criticized, but here too, Lockheed Martin has succeeded in providing operators with a sleek and efficient solution.“Our system has excellent scalability. By adding or removing individual fiber laser units, we can change the output power of the aggregate beam,”Afzal confirmed.
Much more needs to be done to move from its current state to a deployed, battle-ready system. Lockheed Martin has spent over four decades working on laser weapon technology, developing fiber laser with spectral alignment, precision guidance and control, line-of-sight stabilization and self-aligning optics - essential ingredients for generating and directing laser energy. The company intends to develop a family of laser weapons systems with different power levels to perform tasks at sea, in the air and on the ground - after all, there are many people willing to use such weapons.
