Lockheed Martin delivered a 300 kW laser to the US Department of Defense. It is the most powerful laser weapon used to defend against indirect fire – primarily drones and cruise missiles. Barely a year has passed and Lockheed Martin has admitted that it intends to significantly improve these weapons.
Lockheed Martin wants to create a 500 kW laser weapon
start of work on improving its laser to the class of up to 500 kW. The construction of the system is the result of a new contract with the US Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering under the existing program High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI). Upon completion, the Pentagon will have the most powerful laser weapon ever created.
The new 500 kW laser will be built on a proven architecture previously used by Lockheed Martin. Despite the almost twofold increase in power compared to its predecessor, the weapon is to remain compact in size and light in weight. According to the requirements of the Pentagon, the military are to be able to mount the laser on any type of vehicle – tanks, combat vehicles, planes and warships. All this so that it can fight targets from land, sea and air.
The 500 kW class laser is also to maintain “excellent beam quality” and “efficiency optimization” at the same time. Lockheed Martin will focus on on ensuring that the laser light was not scattered at greater distances, and the weapon was characterized by high precision, despite the enormous power. One of the challenges will also be ensuring the appropriate power supply for weapons of this power in each vehicle on which the weapon can be mounted.
The laser is to be used by the Americans primarily to defend against incoming missiles and missiles in a relatively short time. The company boasts that the use of high-power lasers in combat reduces logistics requirements and unit costs of equipment, while ensuring high precision and efficiency. So far, it has not been announced when the new class of weapons will finally be delivered to the US Army.
Source: Gazeta
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