WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The production of a new generation of modular high power lasers will begin in October, US defense contractor Lockheed Martin said in a press release.
"The first laser built using the modular technique will be a60-kilowatt system for a US Army vehicle," the release read on Monday. "Production of the fiber modules laser will take place at Lockheed Martin’s Bothell, Washington facility."
The incorporation of commercial fiber laser components into easily reproduced modules makes production highly affordable, it added.
"With modular lasers, the possibility of a complete system failure due to a single-point disruption is dramatically lessened. Production is also affordable due to the ease of reproducing module components," Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training business development lead Iain McKinnie said in the release.
Lockheed Martin said its laser combines multiple fiber modules to generate an intense laser beam.
The layered approach reduces the chance for mission disruption as a result of a component failure, and minimizes the need for frequent maintenance or repair, the company said.
"While seemingly complex, the laser is easily operated by a single person," Lockheed Martin pointed out.
Laser weapons provide a compliment to traditional kinetic weapons in the battlefield and in the future, they will offer reliable protection against threats such as swarms of drones or large numbers of rockets and mortars, according to the defense contractor.
Lockheed Martin has specialized in laser weapon system development for more than 40 years, and plans to develop a family of laser weapon systems with various power levels tailored to address missions across sea, air and ground platforms, the company concluded.
