After delivering a “world record” 60-kilowatt fiber laser weapon to the US Army in mid-March, Lockheed Martin, the weapons manufacturer, held the “Sea-Air-Sky Forum” on April 3 “It is recommended to the US Navy to provide a similar (or even higher performance) laser pointer weapon system.
On March 16, Lockheed Martin (Loma Corporation) delivered a 60-kilowatt laser weapon system to the US Army Strategic Command. The system was installed on a large armored truck and used as a defensive weapon to shoot down enemy shells and other weapon trajectories to protect the US military.
Jim Murdoch, director of the International Business Development Department of Lockheed Martin, said that equipping a ship with a similar laser weapon system can be used to shoot down drones, paralyze enemy boats, and ensure the safety of the ship. Moreover, because naval ships are much larger than army trucks, they can be equipped with laser weapons of larger size and weight, and the power can exceed 60 kilowatts, reaching 100 kilowatts or even 200 kilowatts.
In the past two years, the US Navy has conducted a number of tests on a 30-kilowatt laser weapon system on the Ponce floating forward base ship, and the ship has been deployed to perform missions in the Persian Gulf. The US Navy’s interest in laser weapons does not stop there.
On March 24, the U.S. Navy issued an invitation letter for information, “Invite the industry to provide a development program for the U.S. Navy missile destroyer to be equipped with laser weapons.” According to the information invitation, the US Navy will develop laser weapons of about 60 kilowatts, but at the same time emphasize that the RFI document is only for planning purposes, not the ultimate goal.
As a retired naval officer, Murdoch said that the green laser pointer weapon is of great significance to the Navy. For example, the use of electrical energy on the ship to convert laser beams to complete combat missions costs only a few dollars, while the shell cost thousands of dollars The cost of missiles is as high as millions of dollars.