Lockheed Martin fires most powerful portable LASER weapon it has ever created in hi-tech race to replace missiles

30 kilowatt laser tested for the first time

Combines multiple lasers into a single beam

Could eventually be mounted on tanks, helicopters and jets

Several firms working to develop laser weapons



It is a weapon that could mean the end of traditional missiles.

Lockheed Martin revealed is has tested the a 30-kilowatt electric fiber laser, the highest power ever fired.

The firm says the weapon could eventually be mounted on jets, tanks and fighter planes - and will more than triple in strength before being used in combat.



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Look into the light: The record-breaking power output was achieved by combining many fiber lasers into a single, near-perfect quality beam of light.

HOW IT WORKS

'It’s like an inverse prism,' said John Wojnar, director of business development for Lockheed Martins laser systems business. 'Lasers with slightly different wavelengths go into the combiner and come out as a single beam.' The result is a fiber laser system capable of producing the 100 kilowatts or more of high quality power needed for a broad range of military “speed-of-light” defensive applications on air, land and sea platforms.

The record-breaking power output was achieved by combining many fiber lasers into a single, near-perfect quality beam of light.

The process, called Spectral Beam Combining, sends beams from multiple fiber laser modules, each with a unique wavelength, into a combiner that forms a single, powerful, high quality beam.



'Lockheed Martin has opened the aperture for high power, electrically driven laser systems suitable for military applications,' said Dr. Ray O. Johnson, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Lockheed Martin.

'Advancements in available laser components, along with the maturity and quality of our innovative beam-combining technology, support our goal of providing lightweight and rugged laser weapon systems for use on military platforms such as aircraft, helicopters, ships and trucks.'

The laser will enetually be mounted on craft such as Lockheed's F-35 jet

The successful demonstration is the latest in the firm's bid to create a viable portable laser weapon.



Prior laser weapon demonstrations in the industry showed target acquisition, tracking and destruction.



However, these solutions were limited for tactical military use because their 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,' said Dr. Johnson.

'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.'

The project has received funding from the US Army, which is also working with Boeing on a laser mounted weapon.





