Lockheed Wins $25M Army Contract for 60-Kilowatt Electric Laser

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has won a $25 million contract to design, build and test a 60-kilowatt electric laser which will be tested and demonstrated on a truck-mounted weapon system. According to the press release, the new laser weapon will improve war fighters’ ability to engage rockets, artillery, mortars and UAVs.

The contract is to be managed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s Technical Center. The Lockheed laser will be tested on a High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD)

“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.”

As the press release notes, Lockheed’s laser system implements compact, rugged fiber laser modules to generate a high power output beam. A spectral beam combining process is used to combine fiber lasers into a single beam of light at 60 kilowatts.

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