Laser defence

News

Northrop Grumman has been awarded $56.68 million to develop "military-grade," solid-state laser technology for use by the US military.

Northrop Grumman has been selected to develop "military-grade," solid-state laser technology that is expected to pave the way for the US military to incorporate high-energy laser systems across all services, including ships, manned and unmanned aircraft, and ground vehicles.

The 36-month, $56.68 million contract for Phase 3 of the Joint High Power Solid-State Laser (JHPSSL) program was awarded to Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector on December 22, 2005.

Under the current phase, the program's goal is for a laser system to reach 100 kW, setting the stage for a variety of force protection and strike missions such as shipboard defence against cruise missiles; wide-area, ground-based defence against rockets, artillery, and mortars; and precision strike missions for airborne platforms.

The Northrop Grumman-led team has already surpassed a critical milestone on the JHPSSL 2 program when it demonstrated a laser system with a total power of greater than 27 kW with a run time of 350 seconds.

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