By CHRISTOPHER PLAIN – AUGUST 9, 2023
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin is aiming to increase the already staggering power of their most powerful combat laser ever to a cruise-missile-destroying 500 kilowatts (kW) of pure energy.
Currently, the most powerful laser ever delivered to the Department of Defense packs a blistering 300 kW of energy. Now, the latest power increase is yet another step forward for the accelerating development and deployment of cutting-edge directed energy weapons.
COMBAT LASER WEAPONS INCREASINGLY ENTERING THE FIELD OF BATTLE
In the days of President Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars initiative, the U.S. military began testing a chemical laser that they hoped would one day be able to knock Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) from the sky. Unfortunately, the designers soon discovered that the technology wasn’t nearly ready, as even the weakest of combat laser designs took up entire buildings to operate.
In the last decade, dramatic improvements in optical technology and laser systems have led to a handful of practical combat lasers. The most powerful is in the hands of the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Dubbed Iron Beam, that system has grown from tens of kilowatts of power in 2016 to a robust 100 kW in 2023.
Still, weapons like Iron Beam or smaller combat laser systems in testing and development by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Army don’t come close to being able to counter many airborne threats, least of all ICBMs. Instead, they are most useful against drones or mortars, whereas missile attacks are still countered by anti-missile missiles.
That may soon change, as Lockheed’s 300 kW laser was shown downing a simulated cruise missile just last year. And based on their goals of upping that figure to 500 kW, their DOD customers may finally be getting closer to the holy grail of combat laser systems.
Under a contract from the Department of Defense’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering, OUSD (R&E), the 300 kW laser already in use is part of the company’s High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI). That same program says they are increasing that system to 500 kW by leveraging some of the optical and technical breakthroughs made during the years of working on combat laser systems for the DOD.
“OUSD (R&E) has invested to mature high energy lasers in support of America’s warfighters,” said Rick Cordaro, vice president of Mission Systems & Weapons at Lockheed Martin. “At the same time, Lockheed Martin has invested in our production infrastructure in anticipation of the Department of Defense’s demand for laser weapons that have additional layers of protection with deep magazines, low cost per engagement, high speed of light delivery, and high precision response reducing logistics requirements.”
It is those specific benefits that have continued to drive the efforts to make lasers bigger and more powerful while remaining relatively portable and cost-effective.
According to the company, the cost of deploying a conventional missile system for air threat defense is about the same as deploying one of their combat laser systems. But unlike conventional missile systems, the cost of operating the laser is significantly less. One estimate of the 100 kW Iron Beam placed that cost at a few dollars per shot compared to the price of a missile, which can range from $50,000 to $150,000 per launch.
Israel has successfully tested the new “Iron Beam” laser interception system.
— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) April 14, 2022
This is the world’s first energy-based weapons system that uses a laser to shoot down incoming UAVs, rockets & mortars at a cost of $3.50 per shot.
It may sound like science fiction, but it's real. pic.twitter.com/nRXFoYTjIU
Israel has successfully tested the new “Iron Beam” laser interception system. This is the world’s first energy-based weapons system that uses a laser to shoot down incoming UAVs, rockets & mortars at a cost of $3.50 per shot.
Also, as long as there is a power generator, the laser never runs out of ammo. In fact, much of the cost of operating mobile missile systems is in the purchase and transport of munitions. With a laser, the only cost is power.