Lockheed to Deliver Record-Setting 60 kW Laser to U.S. Army

By Tactical-Life

The U.S. Army is about to get a powerful new 60 kW laser courtesy of Lockheed Martin.

The Bethesda, Md.-based defense contractor announced it in a press release it has finished work on a new 60 kW-class beam combined fiber laser system and will deliver it to the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command in Huntsville, Ala.

• RELATED STORY: Lockheed’s ATHENA Laser Weapon System Passes Field Test

“Delivery of this laser represents an important milestone along the path to fielding a practical laser weapon system,” Paula Hartley, the VP of Advanced Product Solutions within Lockheed’s Cyber, Ships & Advanced Technologies line, said in a statement. “This milestone could not have been achieved without close partnership between the U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin; we are pleased to be able to deliver this system for their further integration and evaluation.”

When Lockheed tested the laser system earlier this month, it produced a single beam of 58 kW, which is a world record for this type of laser.

The laser is a beam combined fiber laser, which means it brings together individual lasers, generated through fiber optics, to produce a single, extremely intense laser beam. Lockheed …Read the Rest

Source:: Tactical Life