NORTHROP GRUMMAN has successfully tested its Joint High Power Solid State Laser (JHPSSL).
The advanced system, expected to be deployed by the US military, reportedly produced a powerful light ray exceeding 105 kilowatts (kW).
"In the transition of any revolutionary capability from the laboratory to our military forces, a significant 'proof of principle' event is required. Northrop's JHPSSL 100kW demonstration provides that proof. Five years ago, few believed that solid-state lasers could produce a militarily suitable 100kW beam," Dan Wildt, VP of Northrop's directed energy systems, told The News.
 "Today, the Army and Northrop Grumman are announcing the accomplishment of that milestone using an approach that enables robust solid-state laser performance, suitable for laser weapon system performance and tailorable to meet military mission requirements. To put this in context - we see the 100kW threshold as part of a much larger accomplishment, which is delivering on the promise of defense at the speed of light. You could say that we're doing our part to make gunpowder a 20th century technology."
According to Wildt, JHPSSL's modular design "makes it straightforward" to scale laser weapon systems for a variety of uses, including force protection and precision strike missions based on air, sea and land-based platforms. Wildt also noted that the US Army is currently working to integrate a solid-state laser weapon onto its High Energy Laser Technology Demonstrator (HELTD) ground vehicle. In addition, the US Navy has issued an RFP (Request for Proposal) for a maritime demonstration of a solid-state laser weapon capable of defending against "swarming small watercraft."
Jay Marmo, Northrop's JHPSSL programme manager, explained that the company's scalable, building block approach would help facilitate the successful completion of "challenging missions" requiring more than 100 kW of "quality" laser power.
"Getting to 100 kW with replicated building blocks proves we can scale to these higher power levels if required for a given mission. This watershed development, coupled with our Firestrike laser ruggedisation work, unequivocally demonstrates that Northrop Grumman is ready to bring high-power, solid state lasers to the defence of our deployed forces," said Marmo. "It is notable that we were able to meet the power demonstration goal with only seven laser chains, rather than the full eight chains we can accommodate. Adding the eighth chain will increase laser power to 120kW."
|