A Boeing solid-state laser system achieved power and beam quality standards in a recent test under the Pentagon’s robust electric laser initiative.
The device generated more than 30 kilowatts or almost 30 percent of the electric power required for military laser weapons during the demonstration, Boeing said Tuesday.
“In order to be truly viable as a weapons-class system, a laser must achieve high brightness while simultaneously remaining efficient at higher power,” said Michael Rinn, Boeing vice president and program director of directed energy systems.
“Our team has shown that we have the necessary power, the beam quality and the efficiency to deliver such a system to the battlefield,” Rinn added.
Boeing aims for the thin-disk laser to help warfighters destroy targets with minimum or zero collateral damage.
The technology is designed to integrate a series of commercial lasers that require little maintenance and support, the company says.