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Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] 30-kilowatt fiber laser weapon system successfully disabled the engine of a small truck during a recent field test, demonstrating the rapidly evolving precision capability to protect military forces and critical infrastructure.
Known as ATHENA, for Advanced Test High Energy Asset, the ground-based prototype system burned through the engine manifold in a matter of seconds from more than a mile away. The truck was mounted on a test platform with its engine and drive train running to simulate an operationally-relevant test scenario.
The demonstration marked the first field testing of an integrated 30-kilowatt, single-mode fiber laser weapon system prototype. Through a technique called spectral beam combining, multiple fiber laser modules form a single, powerful, high-quality beam that provides greater efficiency and lethality than multiple individual 10-kilowatt lasers used in other systems.
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/press-releases/2015/march/ssc-space-athena-laser.html
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 06 2015, @10:24AM
Especially the effect of a retroreflector would be interesting. Can the laser system handle its own ray?
(Score: 4, Informative) by LoRdTAW on Friday March 06 2015, @01:48PM
We have an IPG fiber laser, basically the same laser that is in the article but only running at 4kW. There is a back reflection sensor that shuts the machine down after a certain percentage of the power is reflected back into the head. I assume the weapon is using an off the shelf IPG or similar fiber laser (between Trumpf and IPG they have the patent market on lockdown for fiber lasers) so back reflection is always monitored.