Ross Wilkers
Lockheed Martin will work with the U.S. Army to design, build and test a 60-kilowatt electric laser under a $25 million contract as the military seeks to acquire laser technology for countering rockets, artillery, mortars and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The company aims for its laser to use several rugged fiber laser modules to generate a single output beam by using a spectral beam combining process, Lockheed said Thursday.
This project is intended to build on the company’s work under the Robust Electric Laser Initiative contract with the Army.
Lockheed demonstrated a 30-kilowatt fiber leaser earlier this year under an internally-funded research and development program, through which the company sought to use 50 percent less electricity than other solid-state laser technologies.
