Combat modular laser has been tested. Free Technical Library News

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Combat modular laser has been tested

10.05.2012

Northrop Grumman has fire tested a new compact, high-power solid-state laser module designed for use in advanced laser guns. The new 13,3 kW Gamma module belongs to the slab laser class: high-power solid-state lasers with an active medium based on transparent optical ceramics.

The Gamma module has smaller dimensions and weight, contains fewer optical systems than the previous generation of similar FIRESTRIKE laser modules. But most importantly, the main parts of the Gamma have already successfully passed vibration and temperature tests in accordance with military specifications. Gamma modules can be connected together to create a powerful laser gun, like the 105 kW Joint High Power Solid State Laser based on FIRESTRIKE modules, which was demonstrated in 2009. Thanks to the smaller size and weight of the new modules, the Gamma-based laser gun will weigh only 226 kg and have dimensions of 58x101x30 cm, the size of two microwave ovens, according to Northrop Grumman.

The combination of good beam focusing at long range and high beam brightness at the target makes the Gamma module a highly lethal weapon. During testing of the laser, its operation time reached 1,5 hours, while the power and focusing of the beam exceeded the required indicators. During the tests, the new laser successfully burned through the skin of the BQM-74 target, which imitates a cruise missile.

The Gamma module is not just a demonstrator, but the first attempt to create a truly reliable solid-state combat laser suitable for harsh field conditions. The concept of using modules looks very correct, because it allows you to 'assemble' lasers of different power and dimensions - depending on the platform. So, a powerful 200-kW cannon weighing several tons can be installed on a ship, and one module weighing a couple of hundred kilograms can be installed on a ground armored vehicle. A focused beam of a 13,3-kW laser is capable of quickly burning through thin metal, clothing and human skin, which makes it a very dangerous weapon. Well, a 100-kW laser can almost instantly destroy an artillery shell, a guided missile, burn a hole in the side of a boat, or kill a person.

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