Lockheed Martin demonstrates 30 kW weapons-grade fiber laser
Bothell, WA--An internally funded research and development program at Lockheed Martin has culminated in the demonstration of a 30 kW weapons-grade fiber laser, which Lockheed Martin says has the highest power ever documented while retaining beam quality and electrical efficiency. The achievement combines many fiber lasers into a single, near-perfect quality beam of light—all while using approximately 50% less electricity than alternative solid-state laser technologies. The spectral beam combining process 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 Ray O. Johnson, senior VP and CTO 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."
Lockheed Martin says the successful demonstration marks a significant milestone on the path to deploying a mission-relevant laser weapon system for a wide range of air, land and sea military platforms. 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 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."
Lockheed Martin has specialized in directed-energy laser weapon system development for the past 30 years and purchased Aculight in 2008 to strengthen its offerings at every level from expert advice and pioneering research to solid prototyping and flexible manufacturing. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin is a security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.
SOURCE: Lockheed Martin; http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2014/january/140128-mst-lockheed-martin-demonstrates-weapons-grade-high-power-fiber-laser.html
Gail Overton | Senior Editor (2004-2020)
Gail has more than 30 years of engineering, marketing, product management, and editorial experience in the photonics and optical communications industry. Before joining the staff at Laser Focus World in 2004, she held many product management and product marketing roles in the fiber-optics industry, most notably at Hughes (El Segundo, CA), GTE Labs (Waltham, MA), Corning (Corning, NY), Photon Kinetics (Beaverton, OR), and Newport Corporation (Irvine, CA). During her marketing career, Gail published articles in WDM Solutions and Sensors magazine and traveled internationally to conduct product and sales training. Gail received her BS degree in physics, with an emphasis in optics, from San Diego State University in San Diego, CA in May 1986.