Whenever aerospace and defense can tap into a commercial technology, it hooks up to a pace of development that can speed the fielding of new capabilities. That could be coming true for long-sought-after high-energy laser weapons.
Lockheed Martin has demonstrated that electric fiber lasers can be spectrally combined to produce a high-power, weapon-grade beam. Fiber lasers are used in communications and manufacturing, and component technology is being driven by commercial markets. What the aerospace industry has to do is find a way to take them to higher, lethal power levels.
With the most power yet achieved with high electrical efficiency and beam quality, Lockheed says its 30-kw fiber laser is a key step toward tactical high-energy weapons. The laser was tested under the company-funded Accelerated Laser Demonstration Initiative (Aladin), but Lockheed is under contract to supply a 60-kw fiber laser for field-testing in the U.S. Army's truck-mounted High-Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator in 2017. A 100-kw version is to be tested in 2022.
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After having toughest year last year where Lockheed has cutting off jobs due to budget constraints, this year it is raising with defense projects, space and more. One of the project i am very much impressed was SR-72 Aircraft.
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