Naomi Cooper
Lockheed Martin has achieved first light from a laser weapon technology designed for integration onto the U.S. Army Stryker combat vehicle to deliver directed energy capability in support of maneuver-short range air defense missions.
The milestone verifies that the 50-kilowatt-class DEIMOS system’s optical performance parameters align with its design parameters, Lockheed said Monday.
First light measures DEIMOS’ expected beam quality while testing the end-to-end performance of the Spectral Beam Combination architecture.
Rick Cordaro, vice president of advanced product solutions at Lockheed, said DEIMOS was built on the company’s prior experience in laser weapons to meet the Army’s air and missile defense requirements.
“The 50 kW-class laser weapon system brings another critical piece to help ensure the U.S. Army has a layered air defense capability,” Cordaro said.
Lockheed plans to expand the DEIMOS test program in 2023 and conclude field integration tests in 2024.
