Laser Weapons Approaching Battlefield Readiness

August 22, 2013 By The Editors

Boeing’s Thin Disk Laser system has just surpassed the Department of Defense’s Robust Electric Laser Initiative (RELI) program requirements. The high power, solid-state laser system’s output reached more than 30 kilowatts. That’s nearly 30 percent more power than RELI, requirements while measuring excellent efficiency throughout the test.

Solid-state laser technology with weapons-level effects has been maturing rapidly over the years. Recent advancements by scientists and in the commercial sectors have begun to show that a potential application for surface combat is possible. In particular, in 2011 the ONR Maritime Laser Demonstration (MLD) took a laser to sea and successfully conducted a mission scenario against a representative threat small boat for the first time while underway. Further, support for a continuation of competitive programs like LaWS (Laser Weapon System – NSWC Dahlgren), the MLD (Northrop Grumman) and MK 38 TLS (Tactical Laser System, Boeing/BaE) continues to gather interest and generate discussion.

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Recent News: Boeing Thin Disk Laser Exceeds Performance Requirements During Testing – Aug 13, 2013

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