Under a U.S. Office of Naval Research program and with the award of an $11 million dollar contract, Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) will develop a vehicle-based laser device capable of defeating low-flying threats such as enemy drones. The Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD) Directed Energy On-the-Move Future Naval Capabilities program calls for a field demonstration of a Humvee-mounted short-range laser weapon system with a minimum power output of 25 kW. The Raytheon-built laser will be packaged to meet the U.S. Marine Corps' demanding size, weight, and power requirements.
RELATED ARTICLES
Testing sets pace for solid-state laser weapons
Thin-disk laser system from Boeing achieves directed-energy weapons status
Brimrose wins STTR for mid-IR FPAs and directed-energy optics
"Raytheon's laser solution generates high power output in a small, light-weight rugged package ideally suited for mobile platforms," said Bill Hart, vice president of Raytheon Space Systems.
Raytheon's planar waveguide (PWG) technology is the key to its unique approach to high energy lasers. Using a single PWG, the size and shape of a 12 inch ruler, Raytheon high-energy lasers generate sufficient power to effectively engage small aircraft.
"Our PWG laser architecture is scalable: We can achieve increasingly higher power levels with the same compact design we're using for GBAD," Hart said.
Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, specializes in defense, security, and civil markets throughout the world.
SOURCE: Raytheon; http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2628