In order to meet the military demand for high-power, high-efficiency, compact, and electrically-driven laser pointer, the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office, together with the Army and Air Force, jointly launched the Durable Electric Laser Program, and plans to develop a 25-kilowatt and expandable capable of being integrated into a military platform. High-energy laser with up to 100 kilowatts, electro-optical conversion efficiency of more than 30%, and beam quality of 1.1 to 2.
With the development of solid-state (including optical fiber) high-energy laser technology, the military and defense companies have also launched a number of tactical laser weapon research programs. In 2012, the Army launched the high-energy laser mobile demonstration prototype program, which aims to build a 60-kilowatt fiber laser demonstration prototype to verify the interception capabilities of rockets, artillery shells, mortars, and drones. It has now entered the second stage.
The Navy has launched projects such as laser weapon systems and mature solid-state laser weapon technology, hoping to eventually develop improved ship-based fiber laser weapons that can be deployed on combat ships such as the “Arleigh Burke” class destroyer to deal with typical maritime and airborne weapons. Target: The Air Force launched the large aircraft electric laser weapon program, integrating the “High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System” developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency into the B-1B strategic bomber to suppress typical ground/air targets. Rheinmetall has launched a 60-kilowatt fiber laser weapon demonstration program.
In the process of the high-energy laser destroying the incoming rocket, the output power of the slab laser developed under the Joint High-Power Solid-State Laser Project was increased to 105 kW (a combination of seven 15-kilowatt laser modules). In addition, the ceramic laser developed by Marsh has also reached 100 kilowatts.
The output power of optical fiber and thin-sheet high-energy green laser pointer developed under the Reliable Electric Laser (RELI) program both reached 30 kilowatts, and at the same time had very good beam quality. In addition to high-energy lasers, progress has been made in the mechanism of the lateral horizontal transmission of high-energy lasers over long distances (over 20 kilometers). In the research of prototypes of tactical laser weapons, a series of interception tests against UAVs, rockets and other targets have been successfully carried out.
In 2010, the Navy’s laser weapon system used six industrial-grade 5.5-kilowatt fiber lasers to obtain 33-kilowatt laser output through space power synthesis. In 2010, it successfully destroyed a number of 3.2 kilometers away and flying at a speed of 134 meters per second in California. UAVs have verified the technical feasibility of 10,000-watt fiber lasers to destroy low-speed UAVs at a distance of several kilometers.