Lockheed to produce laser weapon for Army

BOTHELL, Wash., April 24 (UPI) -- A laser weapon to counter rockets, artillery, mortars and unmanned aerial threats is being designed and built by Lockheed Martin.

The 60-kilowatt electric laser will be integrated in a truck-mounted High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator under a U.S. Army contract worth $25 million.

“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,” said Paula Hartley, vice president of Advanced Product Solutions for Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Training business. “Our solution is much smaller, lighter and more electrically efficient than others in the market and can bring tremendous value to the Army and other military customers.”

Lockheed said its electric laser system uses multiple compact, fiber laser modules to generate a high power output beam. A spectral beam combining process combines the many fiber lasers into a single beam that retains the high beam quality of the individual fiber modules while reaching the 60 kilowatt mark.

The company earlier demonstrated a 30-kilowatt fiber laser, the highest power ever documented, while retaining beam quality and electrical efficiency