Northrop Grumman laser exceeds military program requirements

November 9, 2005, Redondo Beach, CA--A high-energy, solid-state laser developed by Northrop Grumman for the U.S. military has fired one of the most powerful beams yet produced by an electric laser of more than 27 kW with a run time of 350 seconds.

In posting those achievements, the company said it surpassed the power and run time requirements of the Joint High Power Solid-State Laser (JHPSSL) Phase 2 demonstration program, a military effort to leap frog speed-of-light technology.

In a separate test, the laser demonstrated excellent beam quality at 19 kW, showing how well the beam can be focused and thus get to a target. The JHPSSL program was funded by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., and the Office of the Secretary of Defense - Joint Technology Office, Albuquerque.

"The solid-state technology we've demonstrated will serve as the architectural foundation for a whole class of lasers that could be applied throughout much of the U.S. military," said Alexis Livanos, president of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. Potential uses include protective and strike capabilities for ships, manned and unmanned aircraft, and ground vehicles.

"To our knowledge, these achievements make the Northrop Grumman laser the brightest, continuously operating, solid-state laser demonstrated to date," Livanos added.

"Solid-state lasers will add new force protection and joint warfighting capabilities across military services," said Art Stephenson, vice president of Directed Energy Systems at Northrop Grumman Space Technology. "In addition to the JHPSSL success, Northrop Grumman has been leading the development and demonstration of complete laser systems. During the past five years, through the Tactical High Energy Laser program executed in conjunction with the U.S. Army, we've shown the effectiveness of a high-power laser system against a variety of in-flight rockets, artillery and mortars.

"We have also shown that the lethality of a laser results from much more than just the power level. The laser must have good beam quality and a long run time, which are proven hallmarks of our systems. Our solid-state laser approach has been shown to be 'scaleable' to high-power levels without stressing the components. That's why we believe it's time to take high-energy lasers out of the lab and begin integrating them onto the battlefield."